1SICKREVIEW-2012 CLS 63 tuned by RennTech
02-05-12, 09:26 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
1SICKREVIEW-2012 CLS 63 tuned by RennTech
Couldn't wait to write this review up for everyone here as I feel we need more aspirational car reviews. This is actually the first Vossen Wheels Project Car and I had some significant time behind the wheel. To keep things fair I will only post one pic of the car and make no mention of the wheels so this isn't seen as promotional or anything.
This was a vehicle I initially did not like due to pics in pictures as I loved the first gen CLS. To me the new looks were more muddied and busy than the previous version.I was not expecting to really fall head over heels over this car. However having spent a week with one at SEMA I nearly immediately fell in love with the aggressive design and how different it is to anything else on the road with its luxurious interior.
We all know while I am first and foremost a complete car enthusiast I am clearly a Lexus nut. After driving this vehicle Lexus is really leaving me wanting. My time with this car is something I hope Lexus can eventually fulfill in the future. Its crazy to think that while Lexus is going sportier and more fun, it still doesn't seem to be enough or moving fast enough with new products. So basically you are about to read a car enthusiast and Lexus nut completely fap over this Mercedes Benz.
Exterior
The original CLS is why we have the A7, the upcoming 6 series GT and even influenced the VW CC and Hyundai Sonata. I am here to say Mercedes has done an absolute amazing job keeping the swoopy profile while making it look much more aggressive. The front end is beyond pissed off but in a good way with a single chrome bar and Benz emblem the size of one of the wheels.
It has the option LED package which looks like nothing else on the road. It is menacing and breathtaking, especially lowered. Flowing to the sides the RWD proportions are in full effect with a long hood, short doors and short hood. The most uneasy part to me is the rear fender line that runs over the rear wheel..it adds more aggression but I'm not a huge fan. To the rear the CLS keeps the sloping deck with a beautiful set of LED tubes for taillights that curve completely inside. Again nothing else like it.
This vehicle has the optional matte paint that is an OEM color
"designo Magno Cashmere White". I thought I was done with white cars for being too flashy but I am in love with this paint finish. Its completely different to everything else on the road. There is a slight reflection in certain light which accents the lines in the car. It is simply magnificent and again, Lexus, cough cough, offer this
Interior
Lets get this out of the way. This isn't a small car, about 195 inches long or so and the rear is cramped, not roomy but not bad and also with 2 seats in the rear. The front is a throne for you and your front passenger. This vehicle has the upgraded leather package in full black leather made from cows who's sole purpose in life is to be the best seats. They feel amazing, not the traditional harder leather in German cars. The interior also has piano black wood, something I've asked for in a Lexus for years now. The shine is perfect, not too shiny or dull.
There are a lot of buttons on the dash, doors, console, everywhere. If you like buttons, this is for you. Oddly the steering wheel only had a bare minimum of controls. Speaking of the steering wheel it is all leather with a great feel and aluminum paddle shifters that felt wonderful to the touch. It felt like quality. The headliner is also black Alacantra. I tried to change the radio and CD but could not figure it out. Though I didn't care b/c I was grinning driving it.
One of the coolest features EVER is the Adaptive seats. I took a very hard left and started to lean in the seat when I suddenly feel what felt like a large womans hands holding me in place . Well its the side seat bolsters that adjust to keep you in place. So of course I took a hard right and the seat adjusted to the other side. It no gimmick, it really helps keep you in place. The seat I swear has 100 adjustments and a massage feature which would be great on long drives. Basically the seat massages your nuts, butt, back in all sorts of ways while driving.
Trunk room is good, you press a button on the trunk when its open to automatically close it. It has the usual German wide loading areas for large items.
Everything felt worth the price and more. I have sat in this vehicle multiple times and every time it feels special. The gauges are clear and seeing the needle move to illegal speeds so fast is eye-opening
The Drive
This CLS 63 has a base 518hp from a twin-turbo V-8. This is clearly faster than 99% of the cars on the road and is more than enough power. The car was tuned by RennTech where it was dyno'd before and after their ECU upgrades. Here are the results;
Baseline Vossen CLS 63
441hp
454 lbs torque
After RennTech ECU Upgrades
558hp
608 lbs torque
So basically this vehicle now makes 650hp with 700lbs of torque All with an ECU UPGRADE (RennTech reached out to me last week and said they just did another update and can get another 40-50hp and they ran a 10.9 in the 1/4). The car ran an 11.4 in the 1/4 (stock is 12.8 or so). Now amazingly the ECU upgrade didn't change anything, it feels normal, sounds normal, it still throttles like a Mercedes. You depress the pedal all the way and its like trying to ride a bull!!! There is so much awesome in having all this power even though it is very dangerous if not driven properly. Case in point, if I mash the throttle around 40-50 MPH, I can still swing out the rear end going straight!! Power is UNREAL!! This is a RWD vehicle so you don't have AWD's safety (*****net ), you really have top pay attention. On the highway passing power is completely out of this world, going from any speed, 30-60, 60-90, 80-100, 20-80 etc etc takes seemingly no time. It is beyond magnificent and you simply grin the entire time. There was a CTS coupe guy that didn't get the memo and to obliterate him, I mean 10-12 car lengths in no time at all was just amazing
The brakes are the factory AMG brakes, 6/4 pots and brake with authority. The car was tracked and there was no brake fade reported. Under my driving they felt firm and direct.
Steering feel was good to me but not great, still felt slightly electronic under certain speeds but this is still a luxury vehicle so that is to be expected and Mercedes was never known for great steering feel. It was direct though and turned where you steered. It just feels like so many cars today have some extra layer between the steering wheel and the wheels.
Handling was very tight. It has standard rear air with a KW module and KW coilovers up front. The vehicle was in its harshest setting and it wasn't a bad ride at all but felt harsher than my modded GS 450h for example. There is a sport setting that really tightens things up compared to it not depressed. This is a big car and another car that weighs about 4300 lbs with about 53/47% weight distribution so there is no getting around the mass. It handled great though, very accurate with the biggest negative the harshness from being on the hardest setting. I'm sure if we adjusted things the ride could be better. BUt most of us usually keep things in sport all the time anyway
Edit-
Forgot to talk about the sound. It sounds like Hulk in a cage since it uses the stock exhaust. It sounds great still, very noticeable and raspy, nothing like a V-8! I can only imagine with an exhaust the sound though!
Closing Thoughts/Summary
I grinned the entire time. I grinned b/c it looks great. I grinned b/c the interior was magnificent. I grinned b/c it handled great. I grinned b/c acceleration was simply marvelous. I grinned b/c the car is super rare with prestige and image in spades. In essence to me this car is the total package.
Worth every penny of the around $100,000 base asking price. EVERY PENNY. This is what special feels like, this is an exciting vehicle even standing still.
So I naturally thought of Lexus and I hope my words are not used and twisted by trolls with nothing else better to do
. Lexus sorely needs this kind of excitement in the lineup, at all levels beyond the $375.000 LFA and now 5 year old IS F and they need to do it fast. Getting past Lexus the other two Japanese brands are snooze fests to me. MPLexus recently brought up the balance of power shifting to the Germans completely, something I noted before and cars like this help with this progression. With the GS losing its coupe/swoopy profile and being a more upright sedan, I don't see why Lexus can't make a 4 door coupe now to add to the lineup. That said it NEEDS to offer the 500hp we have been talking about for sometime. I fear without turbos/boost, while Lexus power will be adequate/more than adequate, they are sorely missing out on tuners and enthusiasts who want MOOOAR POWER! We all know Lexus engines are all N/A and you will discover worm holes before you crack that ECU.
B/C as of right now my heart is lusting for Porsches & a Mercedes, not a Lexus, and that says a lot.
Thanks for reading
Mike
This was a vehicle I initially did not like due to pics in pictures as I loved the first gen CLS. To me the new looks were more muddied and busy than the previous version.I was not expecting to really fall head over heels over this car. However having spent a week with one at SEMA I nearly immediately fell in love with the aggressive design and how different it is to anything else on the road with its luxurious interior.
We all know while I am first and foremost a complete car enthusiast I am clearly a Lexus nut. After driving this vehicle Lexus is really leaving me wanting. My time with this car is something I hope Lexus can eventually fulfill in the future. Its crazy to think that while Lexus is going sportier and more fun, it still doesn't seem to be enough or moving fast enough with new products. So basically you are about to read a car enthusiast and Lexus nut completely fap over this Mercedes Benz.
Exterior
The original CLS is why we have the A7, the upcoming 6 series GT and even influenced the VW CC and Hyundai Sonata. I am here to say Mercedes has done an absolute amazing job keeping the swoopy profile while making it look much more aggressive. The front end is beyond pissed off but in a good way with a single chrome bar and Benz emblem the size of one of the wheels.
It has the option LED package which looks like nothing else on the road. It is menacing and breathtaking, especially lowered. Flowing to the sides the RWD proportions are in full effect with a long hood, short doors and short hood. The most uneasy part to me is the rear fender line that runs over the rear wheel..it adds more aggression but I'm not a huge fan. To the rear the CLS keeps the sloping deck with a beautiful set of LED tubes for taillights that curve completely inside. Again nothing else like it. This vehicle has the optional matte paint that is an OEM color
"designo Magno Cashmere White". I thought I was done with white cars for being too flashy but I am in love with this paint finish. Its completely different to everything else on the road. There is a slight reflection in certain light which accents the lines in the car. It is simply magnificent and again, Lexus, cough cough, offer thisInterior
Lets get this out of the way. This isn't a small car, about 195 inches long or so and the rear is cramped, not roomy but not bad and also with 2 seats in the rear. The front is a throne for you and your front passenger. This vehicle has the upgraded leather package in full black leather made from cows who's sole purpose in life is to be the best seats. They feel amazing, not the traditional harder leather in German cars. The interior also has piano black wood, something I've asked for in a Lexus for years now. The shine is perfect, not too shiny or dull.
There are a lot of buttons on the dash, doors, console, everywhere. If you like buttons, this is for you. Oddly the steering wheel only had a bare minimum of controls. Speaking of the steering wheel it is all leather with a great feel and aluminum paddle shifters that felt wonderful to the touch. It felt like quality. The headliner is also black Alacantra. I tried to change the radio and CD but could not figure it out. Though I didn't care b/c I was grinning driving it.
One of the coolest features EVER is the Adaptive seats. I took a very hard left and started to lean in the seat when I suddenly feel what felt like a large womans hands holding me in place
. Well its the side seat bolsters that adjust to keep you in place. So of course I took a hard right and the seat adjusted to the other side. It no gimmick, it really helps keep you in place. The seat I swear has 100 adjustments and a massage feature which would be great on long drives. Basically the seat massages your nuts, butt, back in all sorts of ways while driving. Trunk room is good, you press a button on the trunk when its open to automatically close it. It has the usual German wide loading areas for large items.
Everything felt worth the price and more. I have sat in this vehicle multiple times and every time it feels special. The gauges are clear and seeing the needle move to illegal speeds so fast is eye-opening
The Drive
This CLS 63 has a base 518hp from a twin-turbo V-8. This is clearly faster than 99% of the cars on the road and is more than enough power. The car was tuned by RennTech where it was dyno'd before and after their ECU upgrades. Here are the results;
Baseline Vossen CLS 63
441hp
454 lbs torque
After RennTech ECU Upgrades
558hp
608 lbs torque
So basically this vehicle now makes 650hp with 700lbs of torque
All with an ECU UPGRADE (RennTech reached out to me last week and said they just did another update and can get another 40-50hp and they ran a 10.9 in the 1/4). The car ran an 11.4 in the 1/4 (stock is 12.8 or so). Now amazingly the ECU upgrade didn't change anything, it feels normal, sounds normal, it still throttles like a Mercedes. You depress the pedal all the way and its like trying to ride a bull!!! There is so much awesome in having all this power even though it is very dangerous if not driven properly. Case in point, if I mash the throttle around 40-50 MPH, I can still swing out the rear end going straight!! Power is UNREAL!! This is a RWD vehicle so you don't have AWD's safety (*****net ), you really have top pay attention. On the highway passing power is completely out of this world, going from any speed, 30-60, 60-90, 80-100, 20-80 etc etc takes seemingly no time. It is beyond magnificent and you simply grin the entire time. There was a CTS coupe guy that didn't get the memo and to obliterate him, I mean 10-12 car lengths in no time at all was just amazingThe brakes are the factory AMG brakes, 6/4 pots and brake with authority. The car was tracked and there was no brake fade reported. Under my driving they felt firm and direct.
Steering feel was good to me but not great, still felt slightly electronic under certain speeds but this is still a luxury vehicle so that is to be expected and Mercedes was never known for great steering feel. It was direct though and turned where you steered. It just feels like so many cars today have some extra layer between the steering wheel and the wheels.
Handling was very tight. It has standard rear air with a KW module and KW coilovers up front. The vehicle was in its harshest setting and it wasn't a bad ride at all but felt harsher than my modded GS 450h for example. There is a sport setting that really tightens things up compared to it not depressed. This is a big car and another car that weighs about 4300 lbs with about 53/47% weight distribution so there is no getting around the mass. It handled great though, very accurate with the biggest negative the harshness from being on the hardest setting. I'm sure if we adjusted things the ride could be better. BUt most of us usually keep things in sport all the time anyway
Edit-
Forgot to talk about the sound. It sounds like Hulk in a cage since it uses the stock exhaust. It sounds great still, very noticeable and raspy, nothing like a V-8! I can only imagine with an exhaust the sound though!
Closing Thoughts/Summary
I grinned the entire time. I grinned b/c it looks great. I grinned b/c the interior was magnificent. I grinned b/c it handled great. I grinned b/c acceleration was simply marvelous. I grinned b/c the car is super rare with prestige and image in spades. In essence to me this car is the total package.
Worth every penny of the around $100,000 base asking price. EVERY PENNY. This is what special feels like, this is an exciting vehicle even standing still. So I naturally thought of Lexus and I hope my words are not used and twisted by trolls with nothing else better to do
. Lexus sorely needs this kind of excitement in the lineup, at all levels beyond the $375.000 LFA and now 5 year old IS F and they need to do it fast. Getting past Lexus the other two Japanese brands are snooze fests to me. MPLexus recently brought up the balance of power shifting to the Germans completely, something I noted before and cars like this help with this progression. With the GS losing its coupe/swoopy profile and being a more upright sedan, I don't see why Lexus can't make a 4 door coupe now to add to the lineup. That said it NEEDS to offer the 500hp we have been talking about for sometime. I fear without turbos/boost, while Lexus power will be adequate/more than adequate, they are sorely missing out on tuners and enthusiasts who want MOOOAR POWER! We all know Lexus engines are all N/A and you will discover worm holes before you crack that ECU. B/C as of right now my heart is lusting for Porsches & a Mercedes, not a Lexus, and that says a lot.
Thanks for reading
Mike
Last edited by LexFather; 02-05-12 at 10:15 PM.
02-05-12, 09:43 PM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
awesome review, thank you, and congrats on getting the wheels on a renntech!
can't imagine what driving that monster is like, but way to go!
can't imagine what driving that monster is like, but way to go!
02-05-12, 09:55 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
http://www.renntechmercedes.com/www/
02-05-12, 10:12 PM
#5
Pole Position
Thanks for the review, i truly enjoyed reading it. Have to agree with you the German crowd is getting more attractive day by day.
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02-06-12, 04:41 PM
#14
Lexus Champion
02-06-12, 07:06 PM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
Great write-up, Mike.....and an awesome car. I've full-reviewed C63 and E63 AMGs, a Panamera, and a Jag XKR drop-top, but not quite something like what you had there. But, in general, just about all of those hand-built AMG powerplants are something else.
I'll respect your opinion (styling, of course, is subjective), but I never cared for the CLS's coupe-sedan styling (or the similiar VW CC) and their small, peep-hole side-windows. I like plenty of visibility out when I drive.
Did you have the VSC turned off? If it is working properly, the VSC and traction-control should keep the rear-wheels in line, even if that means shutting down some fuel-flow and backing-off on the power a little (or using the individual rear-brakes)
Doesn't run a lot more than that, though, with the Renn-Tech package? 
Renn-Tech stuff isn't cheap.
So that Matte-White paint-job is better than the Lexus/Infiniti/Cadillac/Audi Pearl-Oyster-White? Again, I'll take your word for it as to your opinion (you inspect and review a lot of cars, like I do).....but I'd still like to see it for myself if I get a chance. Among white paint jobs, IMO, it's HARD to beat the job that the four companies I just listed do with the Pearl-Effect-White.
I'm not sure what you mean by "aspirational"? By that term, do you mean six-figure cars that many buyers can't afford? I've done a few of those myself, and, yes, they can be a real treat to drive and write-up (driving that supercharged Jag XKR convertible, for instance, for a recent Holiday-Review, was like dating a supermodel). 
Even though this forum is for general car-chat, it's no secret that many members in on it (being part of a larger, primarily-Lexus forum) have money and are relatively well-off. But, at the same time, I get review-requests, both on and off-CL, for everything from 10-15K econoboxes to 100K+ luxury and sports-cars. Some people either don't have a lot to spend on a new car, or thay have it and simply prefer to spend it on a cheaper car.......or on something else.
I've full-reviewed C63 and E63 AMGs, a Panamera, and a Jag XKR drop-top, but not quite something like what you had there. But, in general, just about all of those hand-built AMG powerplants are something else.
Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX
I am here to say Mercedes has done an absolute amazing job keeping the swoopy profile while making it look much more aggressive.
Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX
Case in point, if I mash the throttle around 40-50 MPH, I can still swing out the rear end going straight!!
Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX
Worth every penny of the around $100,000 base asking price. EVERY PENNY.
Renn-Tech stuff isn't cheap.
Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX
This vehicle has the optional matte paint that is an OEM color "designo Magno Cashmere White". I thought I was done with white cars for being too flashy but I am in love with this paint finish. Its completely different to everything else on the road. There is a slight reflection in certain light which accents the lines in the car. It is simply magnificent and again, Lexus, cough cough, offer this
Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX
I feel we need more aspirational car reviews.
By that term, do you mean six-figure cars that many buyers can't afford? I've done a few of those myself, and, yes, they can be a real treat to drive and write-up (driving that supercharged Jag XKR convertible, for instance, for a recent Holiday-Review, was like dating a supermodel). Even though this forum is for general car-chat, it's no secret that many members in on it (being part of a larger, primarily-Lexus forum) have money and are relatively well-off. But, at the same time, I get review-requests, both on and off-CL, for everything from 10-15K econoboxes to 100K+ luxury and sports-cars. Some people either don't have a lot to spend on a new car, or thay have it and simply prefer to spend it on a cheaper car.......or on something else.
Last edited by mmarshall; 02-06-12 at 07:49 PM.