How we extracted 700BHP from the E63S whilst retaining reliability & drivability – We look at the work involved in developing the perfect tune for the E-Class.
Mercedes E63 tuning – What can we do for your car?
The 2017 Mercedes E63S power plant now pushes 604bhp and 850Nm with a new 4WD system to help tame it – It’s also turbocharged and this makes it an ideal candidate for tuning. We’re able to increase power and torque, to bring new levels of performance and truly unlock the car without any risk of damage to engine or transmission components. Power figures around 700BHP are achieved with a mild tune and totally stock hardware!
Mercedes E63 Tuning Development
With any tuning project, someone has to go first. The development cars take a long time to tune, as there’s no pre-existing basemap to work from. We had the car for a few days to allow us to work out what was achievable and perform extensive testing to find the limits and safety margins.
As with any development project, we started by data-logging. After a few runs on the dyno, we noticed that the car makes considerably more power than the manufacturer figures, but this is quite common with German manufactured vehicles. The dyno results showed this engine produced 643bhp and 901Nm – 39bhp & 51Nm up over the manufactures figures.
After several hours on the dyno gathering the required data we removed the ECU. Our development team disassembled the unit, and downloaded the original software from it. We could then set about adjusting various parameters (turbocharger pressure, ignition timing, air fuel ratio and much more) to tune the engine for optimal performance. We then tested the tune on the dyno, datalogged, adjusted & repeated multiple times until we got the desired results.
With the dyno readings looking positive, we then took to the road to see how the car performed. Again, more datalogging to confirm the tune performs as well on the road as it does on the dyno – big numbers on the rollers are meaningless if the car doesn’t drive properly!
Mercedes E63 Tuning Results
Our Stage 1 software on the development car gave figures of 698bhp & 981Nm. We found the car much smoother to drive, and with nearly 1000Nm of torque, it really does pull hard when required. Looking at the logs there appears to be a lot more scope for even more power from these engines, however they will need larger turbochargers to produce more power – the cooling systems on the engine, and the transmission appear to be massively over-engineered from the factory. We found the E63 AMG a very well built car, and one ideally suited to tuning.
Three genuinely different engines have worn this badge, and they do not respond alike. Working out
which one you have is the first thing we do, because it decides everything that follows.
Years
Engine
Power
Torque
ECU
2006–2008
6.2 V8, naturally aspirated
514PS
630Nm
Bosch ME9.7
2009–2011
6.2 V8, naturally aspirated
525PS
630Nm
Bosch ME9.7
2009–2012
5.5 V8 biturbo
525PS
700Nm
Bosch MED17.7.1
2013–2016
5.5 V8 biturbo
558PS
720Nm
Bosch MED17.7.3
2013–2016
5.5 V8 biturbo, S 4Matic
585PS
800Nm
Bosch MED17.7.3
2017 on
4.0 V8 biturbo, E63 S
604PS
850Nm
–
The 6.2 is the one to be careful about
The 6.2 is naturally aspirated. There is no boost to raise, so software alone
gives a modest improvement – sharper throttle, a cleaner top end, and a gearbox that behaves
itself. It does not produce the kind of numbers you will see quoted for the turbocharged cars. If
someone has promised you a big power figure for a 6.2 from a remap alone, ask them how.
The 5.5 and 4.0 biturbo cars are a different matter entirely. Those respond
properly, because there is boost and fuelling to work with – which is why the 700BHP figure
above is achievable on an E63 S with standard hardware.
Estate and 4Matic
The T-Model estate and the 4Matic cars use the same engines as their saloon and rear-drive
equivalents, so the software side is unchanged. The 4Matic cars simply put the power down better.
GLE 63 and the other 63s
The GLE 63 uses the same 5.5 biturbo at 558PS, and 585PS in S form – so
what applies to the E63 applies to it. The C63, CLS63, S63 and ML63 share much of the same
engineering. Tell us the registration and we will confirm exactly what you have.
Top class service from true experts in their field who actually care
Contacted these guys to Re-Map my gear box and engine on a new Mercedes E63s 4Matic AMG. What can I say…..Great service from day one and what a difference. I'm almost at 700bhp and 960nm of Torque!!!! The car is still very much drive-able and you can pootle along at 30 or rip your face off! I whole heartedly recommend these guys and they will even pick up and drop off your car if you are too busy.
Top class service from true experts in their field who actually care.
John Melrose
Meet The Team
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