By: Dave Abrahams
Weissbach, Germany - Seems every Tom, Dick and tuning haus in Germany regards AMG's muscular new four-litre biturbo V8, as found in the Mercedes-Benz C63 range and AMG GT sports coupé, less as a finished article and more as a blank canvas - a starting point for outrageous upgrades.
Of these Brabus is probably the best known, but far from being the only one.
Przemvslaw (everybody except his mother calls him Jimmy) Pelka is the brains behind PP-Performance in the Baden-Wuerttemberg city of Weissach. His shop specialises in street sleepers - cars that look almost standard until they leave you eating their dust.
Pelka himself writes all the software for his upgrade chips, which he confidently says will boost the 3982 V8's outputs from 375 to 451kW and from 700 to 768Nm - at a cost of €2899 (R45 600).
That, he says, will launch a Mercedes C63 from standstill to 100km/h in 3.59 seconds (standard is four seconds flat) and on to 307km/h where the original is limited to 250.
The results in the smaller, lighter GT are even more impressive: getaway to 100 is down from 3.8 to 3.4 seconds, top speed is up from 310km/h to 324.
Want more? Pelka will fit a racing filter for €199 (R3100) and a catless exhaust system for €2499 (R39 300); in conjunction with suitably revised software, the combination will give you another 24kW.
WIMMER RENNSPORTTECHNIK
Across the country in Solingen, Thorsten Wimmer has gone a lot further with this showpiece Mercedes-Benz C63 S Estate, starting with individually optimised software for the ECU.
That's backed up by (barely) street-legal, tuned-length, handmade stainless-steel exhaust system with a free-flowing sports catalyser, Y-pipe and electronically controlled butterfly valve - all of which boosts the show car car's original 375kW to a claimed 471kW. The car also runs KW coilover dampers and 19 inch BBS type CH alloy rims.
Wimmer doesn't quote performance or prices because, he says, each car is individually modified and tuned to the owner's requirements.