Mercedes 300SEL ‘Red Pig’ Tribute Is a 1,000 HP Restomod With C63S Underpinnings

What looks to be a pretty faithful Mercedes 300SEL Red Pig tribute build is actually a C63S underneath with some hefty performance upgrades.

The Mercedes 300SEL is a well-known entity within the automotive enthusiast world, as it’s widely considered to be among the finest luxury sedans to ever grace this earth. That particular model combined old school, rock solid build quality with modern comfort and drivability – something that just doesn’t really exist anymore. However, this wild, custom, one off Mercedes 300SEL is far from that, though it’ll certainly rustle up plenty of affection from those that appreciate the more powerful – and potent – methods of four-wheel transportation.

Featured in this recent video from AutotopiaLA, this Mercedes 300SEL was purchased by the owner from a gentleman who was attempting to recreate the famous “Red Pig” – a racer built by AMG that wound up finishing second overall and first in its class at the 1971 24-hour race in Spa-Franchorchamps. The car actually began life as a real-deal Mercedes 300SEL 6.3 model, to which the previous owner added fender flares and stickers to make it resemble that famous racer car, but it was in need of some serious work, regardless.

Thus, the folks at S-klub took on the project and proceeded to transform it into something truly spectacular. Instead of trying to tack parts onto the existing underpinnings, the team purchased a 2017 C63S and basically put the vintage body on top of that rolling chassis, which wasn’t too difficult to do, as the dimensions are actually pretty close. It took only 40 days to put the whole thing together, amazingly enough.

Rather than leave the potent 4.0-liter V8 as-is, S-klub gave it new turbos, big downpipes, and a TCU tune, which lifted output to a whopping 1,000 horsepower. Much of the rest was left alone, but the vintage machine did get KW V3 coilovers underneath, coupled with 18-inch VIP wheels, loads of carbon fiber bodywork, and a custom interior with a full roll cage.

On the outside, it looks a lot like the original Red Pig, but with some more modern flair, and according to Ed of S-Klub, it’s “the best driving car we’ve ever made.” Given the quality of builds that have come from that outfit over the years, that’s certainly high praise, indeed.

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.