Brav0

Hi,

I love my c250 but a bit more power would definitely be nice. At the moment there are two performance improving chips that i could find:

BRABUS PowerXtra CGI-B25S - $3k
Vaeth V25 -$1.65k
(usd prices)

Each mod claims to raise the power to 240hp and 260lb-ft.
Kleeman is working on something similar but it is not complete at the moment.

I couldnt find any real reviews on the internet if these mods are worth to install. Does anyone have any experience with these them? What would you guys recommend to improve the performance a bit?

jtl1230

Not to be a debbie downer, but for that price...why in the world wouldn't you just buy a 350. It covers the price difference between the two cars.

Brav0

in canada the price difference between c250 and c350 is 10k.

jtl1230

ah that makes more sense...I wish I could be more helpful. I know my SA was talking about how he was thinking he'd get a 250 so he could mod the turbo. More power to you! let us know how it turns out if you proceed.

AV1

Wow only 3k between a C350 and C250?? in Australia, the price difference is 20k base price difference between those 2.

jtl1230 it's early days for these, so in time I'm sure there'll be plenty more mods available for the C250 CGI

DameMD

In time, there will be mods for our car. The U.S. tuners haven't had a chance to do a a lot of testing to the c250 since it just came out. Once the turbo tuners get a hold of the car and crack the ecu, we should see chips/power boxes/ecu tunes coming out.

Coming from a previous turbo car, I bought the c250 over the c350 for the mod potential (turbo + lighter car + better steering feel). Mod the c250 right and you "should" be able to make more power than the c350 (short of a turbo); plus u still wouldnt be at the price point of a c350. My dealer had c350's starting at $7000 more than my car

For example, the Audi tuners have made more power with the A5 2.0t than the Audi S5 for less than the price of buying the A5 3.2.

If nothing is out by end of year, I may start dissecting my ecu/engine or go to my local shop and see if I can get a custom tune.

Jon@BMS

We're working on an inexpensive C250 tune similar to our BMW N54/N55 offerings. So far we're finding quite a bit of torque and power gains below 5000rpm, but very little gains above 5000rpm, due to the small turbo size and other factors. I'm not sure it will ever be a C350 killer but the day to day driving is *dramatically* improved with all the extra torque. We'll keep working on it and post some dyno charts in a couple weeks of where we are at.

Brav0

I am curious to see the results! Would it be a chip or ecu flash?

dave405nyc

Please keep us updated Terry!! I picked up a new C250 coupe and it could definitely use the power!

DameMD

Terry, are you seeing any gains similar to the Brabus 25S tune (240hp-270tq)? I would definitely jump on board if you get similar gains for less $$$$.

Trek1200

I'm having my C250 Sedan tuned by Renntech right now. As soon as I have some info on price and results, I'll post here. https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...tech-c250.html

slktyperice

Will these chips also eliminate the initial "lag" when you step on the accelerator? I'm not talking about turbo lag, but the "response time lag" between the time you step on the accelerator and the car actually starts going.

DameMD

Put the car in sport mode. Drive a hard for a day or two

Jon@BMS

Haven't heard of or tested their tune, but since the gains are hardware limited I imagine all tunes will make about the same power if done properly.

We posted a dyno chart on our forum before and after. There are gains to be had but the car is basically mechanically limited by a weak wastegate and some other items. So we will do it in stages. Stage1 will be a simple 5 minute install tune using PNP connectors, and then Stage2 will add additional hardware components (upgraded wastegate, intake, etc) along with a new program to run on our Stage1 tuner to make it a Stage2. Generally, most will just want to do the 5 min install/removal type thing I imagine. But by changing mechanical parts out there is more power to be had.

Jon@BMS

Piggyback tuner style similar to our BMW products. It will be a few years before the cars are out of warranties and customers are interested in flash tuning (which leaves a trace for MB to pick up on), but the real issue with this platform is the weak wastegate and some other items holding back power. The Stage1 piggyback does make a great improvement in day to day driving though, added around 20whp and 40wtq under the curve.

DameMD

I'm in for the upgraded hardware, not to concerned about warranty. Do you have an estimated time for the completed products?

Jon@BMS

These things take a lot of time to fully develop and test so there is no set ETA. We have the OEM electrical connectors on order from Germany and expect those in 2-3 weeks. At that point we'll be looking for a handful of BETA testers to help test out the Stage1 tuning.

Sako94

is there any new reports on the stage 1 tuning ?
im dying to get my hands on it!

Igor1080

I think were all pretty anxious to get an affordable tune. They should also be reliable though so I don't know if I'd wanna rush it lol.

CoupeDeta

I found this at carlsson UK site, they offer two different performance upgrade. One i think it's just the ECU and the other package it's ECU and New Intercooler system. It's for the CGI engine not CDI?! im blind with all the technical stuff, have no idea if the US C250 is CDI or CGI , anyway it's not up on Carlsson USA site yet, maybe eventually it will.

Here's the stat:
250 CGI
Original:
max. power: 150Kw (204hp) / 5.500 rpm
max. torque: 310Nm / 2.000 -.4.300 rpm
Carlsson:
max. power: 176Kw (239hp) / 5.500 rpm
max. torque: 400Nm / 2.000 - 4.300 rpm

Compatible to following engines:
- M 271.820
- M 271.860

http://carlsson.de/b2b/index.php?fun...vid=574&cat=-1

slktyperice

CGI = Gasoline
CDI = Diesel

I'm looking for a non-name-brand plug-and-play box based off these brand-name tunes. For most of us in the US market who got the C250, spending $2000+ for ~40hp is really not worth it when the C350 is only about $3500 more. I understand that this would be worth it more for our Aussie or Southeast Asia friends who see a $10k+ difference in the two models. The price point that would make a lot of people pull the trigger for this extra power would be about $450-$750, especially when many of us are on a lease and don't want to void the warranty with an ECU tune.

flomofo

Id be willing to spend that kind of higher dollar though, if the hardware upgrades get you near v6 performance with the lighter and easier to work on 4.

I really hope the motor and drivetrain maintain their refinement/mileage at stage 2.

Ubiquitous5

Way too expensive for Chips.

The Audi A4/A5 guys pay $599 for an APR ECU Tune.

Ubiquitous5

IMO, if you want more power or similar power in this price range of cars, I highly recommend taking a look at the new 3 series. Numbers are insane. Not trying to upset anyone, but just an FYI

DameMD

You guys in this thread have not been paying attention. If you power hungry guys read the w204 threads, you will know that there is a tuner working on stuff, getting us the same gains as the new 328i 240hp-260tq+ at stage 1. Please search the forums. Also, it will help if we can support them as I would like to see more options regarding power for this car. That is all....