Yes, these are photoshopped renderings you see here, but they're from a Bavarian tuner who promises to deliver the real deal on the road.

The aftermarket firm is Voltage-Design and it's teasing a new performance package for the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Coupe, complete with a styling kit and a significant power boost for the bi-turbo V8 engine prowling under the hood.

Like many tunes of the sort, Voltage-Design's cosmetic mods are made from lightweight carbon fiber, including the radiator grille with the company's own logo in place of the star, a chin spoiler, hood air vents, side skirts, rear diffuser, boot lid spoiler and bumper trims. While not seen in the renders, the tuner says it also offers full carbon fiber mirror caps and bonnet replacements.

The car rolls on 22-inch Vossen CVT rims in silver metallic and sits up to 35mm lower to the ground through a suspension kit.

If you opt for the VD Storm 800 engine kit, you get a new ECU, down pipes, exhaust system, a revised manifold and upgraded turbochargers, which take the stock 5.5-liter V8 from 577hp (585PS) and 900 Nm (663 lb-ft) of torque to 789hp (800PS) and 1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft) respectively. With that kind of power, you may also want to check out VD's available carbon-ceramic braking system.

For pricing, we'll have to wait for the Germans to release details.

Meets resistance class VR9 requirements

Following last weekend's preview, Mercedes-Benz has fully revealed the S600 Guard.

Mercedes-Benz says the S600 Guard is the first vehicle in the world "comprehensively certified" for highest ballistic protection in resistance class VR9. The armored S-Class has received specially developed protective components made from a special type of steel built into the cavities between the body structure and outer skin. For additional splinter protection, the vehicle comes with special aramide (heat-resistant synthetic fibers) and polyethylene components.

All glass areas have been coated with polycarbonate on the inside and they also feature a laminated structure. From a visual point of view, the S600 Guard looks virtually the same as the non-armored model and can be had as a four- or five-seater with a 350-liter trunk capacity. Power comes from the same V12 6.0-liter twin-turbo engine outputting 530 PS (390 kW) and 612 lb-ft (830 Nm) of torque as in the regular S600.

Guard-specific equipment includes a panic alarm system, opaque roller blinds, emergency fresh air system, hydraulic side windows, gimbal rear LED reading lamps, special rear cooling compartment and heated windscreen & side windows.

As with pretty much every new generation of the “Sonder Klasse” in the past, the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class is trying really hard to be a technological tour de force, and from many points of view, it's very much succeeding.

Most people talk about its hot stone massage seats or the Magic Body Control suspension system, but one of its most coveted newly-introduced technologies should probably be the Distronic Plus system with Steering Assist and Stop and Go capabilities.

Thanks to a wide array of short, medium and long-range radar sensors that work together with a stereo camera system situated behind the windshield, Distronic Plus with Steering Assist can maintain the optimum distance to the vehicle in front – automatically braking and accelerating the car depending on the situation.

Even more impressive is the Steering Assist bit, which in theory ensures that the car remains in in the middle of the lane even on gentle bends – and all this without driver intervention.

Since current legislation in most countries doesn't actually allow fully autonomous cars on their roads, Mercedes-Benz was required to fit additional sensors on the steering wheel in order to detect that the driver keeps at least one hand on the wheel. If it detects that the driver isn't using the steering during a given time, the Steering Assist system is deactivated.

Closely following the KISS principle, it seems that the steering wheel sensor is actually based on weight, so the German owner of a Mercedes-Benz S 500 decided to trick the system using what appears to be a can of juice.

The weight of the soda can simulates the driver using the steering wheel, which in translation means that the car can drive all by itself on the German Autobahn. Kind of cool but somewhat scary at the same time, especially since the shape of the steering wheel and the two gauges look a bit like a clown face...

Classy meets nasty when it comes to this Renntech tuned Mercedes S63 AMG.