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2014 C350 Sport 4matic - Stage 1 -(Tuning review included)
Hi all
Just sharing some of the luv I've added to the Coupe this past week.
Started off with the Wheels and Tires. Nothing wrong with the AMG sport wheels and Pirelli's it came with, but I wanted more of a Summer performance tire on it.
I kept the wheel size at 18" and picked up the Roderick RW 2s in Machined black. These are only .5" wider then the original wheels both front and back. 8" & 9" respectively.
Then I added the Michelin Pilot Super sport tires, 225/40 in the front, and staggered 255/35 rears. The little bit of extra room on these wheels really lets the tires fill out nicely and it sits so nice I wouldn't even consider lowering it at this point.
Tossed in a K& N air filter, added the tail light bezels. Got the chrome trim from Luxury chrome trim and painted them with semi gloss with primer mixed in. Then several coats of satin polyurethane to match the texture and color of the diffuser. Came out nearly exact.
Although I didn't use the tape that comes on the trim, I used a much stronger 3M VHB tape that I have at work. Cost about $75 a roll, but it's well worth it. (Comes off without leaving any marks or residue too) It's also used to hold large glass windows in tall office buildings around the World. Gives you an idea of it's strength.
The best feature that was added was a tuning by OE Tuning out in Cali.
Jeremy had reached out back in Feb. and I told him when the Winter was over and I had the car out of the garage I would seriously consider his offer. After doing my research and talking with several Tuning companies both local and out of State I decided OE was my best choice.
BJ at their office stepped me through every aspect of doing the upgrade and I don't think it took me more then 10 minutes each time to remove and then reinstall the ECU.
I installed the ECU yesterday late afternoon. I wasn't sure what to expect from it, so I started it up and let it warm up for a few minutes. Sounded very similar for the first minute or so. Then it could of been my own imagination getting the better of me, but for some reason I felt like the exhaust was a little fuller. I'm a Sound/Acoustic engineer by trade and my ears are very good with pitch. (guitar player as well) so I definitely noticed "something" different in tonality.
These Sport models come with a tuned exhaust so I wanted to hear the difference after the upgrade before investing in an exhaust right away.
I'm grateful I did that, because I won't be switching the exhaust system on this car. It sounds exactly the way I want it. Nice and quiet when I'm cruising, and plenty of bark when I am manually/requesting gear changes.
As luck would have it, a few miles from home a call comes in and I notice the caller ID says it's coming in from OE Tuning and it was BJ calling me to make sure everything was going well and good.
I got a little laugh out of it considering the timing and he began to talk me through the best way to adapt the Tune to the car. I took all his advice and within an hour I could hear, feel and experience a big improvement in performance.
All BS aside, I feel very fortunate that OE did the tune for me. I realize there are many options out there and that includes a local shop not far me with a very good rep. Sometimes you just need to go with your gut. Besides when I visit my Mom out in Cali I always notice how cool the cars sound and run out there and it just simply felt right. (I live in New England)
The one thing I am really impressed with is the response of the throttle. When I tap it, it goes and it goes smooth and pulls for more.
The combination of the new treads, lighter outside diameter wheels, with the ECU has the car running exactly the way I envisioned it at this stage.
Later this month I'll hit the New England dragway to clock it. I can't say for sure exactly but I have zero doubt the car is running in the 13s with ease.
Anyways, just thought I would share the experience here and give a big thanks and shout out to OE for all the service, advice and all around support given this past week. You guys rock it!
Glad you got the tune you wanted, bud! So your from NE im from NY. If possible maybe one day we can meetup and do a run or two and see whos tune performs better as i have the Eurocharged tune. just throwing this out there lol. Enjoy in good health and be safe!
Glad you got the tune you wanted, bud! So your from NE im from NY. If possible maybe one day we can meetup and do a run or two and see whos tune performs better as i have the Eurocharged tune. just throwing this out there lol. Enjoy in good health and be safe!
Hey there Shaz!
Thanks for dealing with all my questions as well. I should of mentioned you for big props always taking the time to reply to my messages, much appreciated.
I'm sure over the Summer I will visit my Brother in NYC and I'll let you know when I'm in the neighborhood. Just don't want to get a ticket. lol
I'm glad we both have the experience of seeing what these V6s can do with a little tweaking. Definitely surprised me and you were spot on about the throttle response being silly good.
Enjoy the nice weather rolling in this upcoming week and be safe out there.
I shipped it out on a Friday afternoon and I had it back on a Wednesday cause I chose the next day option.
Time wasn't a factor for me with this as just my Summer car, I drove my pickup in the meantime.
A little update as a side note. My friend brought over his new 2015 Z51 Vette with 450hp. We went from a 20 mph roll and I had a half a car length jump on him until 115 mph before his 8 cyl was able to start edging by me. We quit at that point. Both of Us were impressed with it.
very cool, this is what I wanted. I came from a C63, hearing this about the performance makes me happy.
Well, a C63 is a significant jump from the C350 V6. Never going to get that type of power without major upgrades and the cost would be cheaper to just have the C63.
All the tune really does is give it very nice throttle response and a little extra pep in the mid to high end from what I can tell. When it opens up it has a better punch to it and sounds a little louder overall.
The main reason I avoided the C63 was the gas mileage and the cost of gas last year at the pump. Right now just normal cruising speed it's 29 mpg. (The tune is getting a little better gas mileage)
Although not sure you will ever be "happy" with the C350 V6 performance compared to an AMG experience. It's really two different Worlds apart having driven both IMHO.
Just sharing some of the luv I've added to the Coupe this past week.
Started off with the Wheels and Tires. Nothing wrong with the AMG sport wheels and Pirelli's it came with, but I wanted more of a Summer performance tire on it.
I kept the wheel size at 18" and picked up the Roderick RW 2s in Machined black. These are only .5" wider then the original wheels both front and back. 8" & 9" respectively.
Then I added the Michelin Pilot Super sport tires, 225/40 in the front, and staggered 255/35 rears. The little bit of extra room on these wheels really lets the tires fill out nicely and it sits so nice I wouldn't even consider lowering it at this point.
Tossed in a K& N air filter, added the tail light bezels. Got the chrome trim from Luxury chrome trim and painted them with semi gloss with primer mixed in. Then several coats of satin polyurethane to match the texture and color of the diffuser. Came out nearly exact.
Although I didn't use the tape that comes on the trim, I used a much stronger 3M VHB tape that I have at work. Cost about $75 a roll, but it's well worth it. (Comes off without leaving any marks or residue too) It's also used to hold large glass windows in tall office buildings around the World. Gives you an idea of it's strength.
The best feature that was added was a tuning by OE Tuning out in Cali.
Jeremy had reached out back in Feb. and I told him when the Winter was over and I had the car out of the garage I would seriously consider his offer. After doing my research and talking with several Tuning companies both local and out of State I decided OE was my best choice.
BJ at their office stepped me through every aspect of doing the upgrade and I don't think it took me more then 10 minutes each time to remove and then reinstall the ECU.
I installed the ECU yesterday late afternoon. I wasn't sure what to expect from it, so I started it up and let it warm up for a few minutes. Sounded very similar for the first minute or so. Then it could of been my own imagination getting the better of me, but for some reason I felt like the exhaust was a little fuller. I'm a Sound/Acoustic engineer by trade and my ears are very good with pitch. (guitar player as well) so I definitely noticed "something" different in tonality.
These Sport models come with a tuned exhaust so I wanted to hear the difference after the upgrade before investing in an exhaust right away.
I'm grateful I did that, because I won't be switching the exhaust system on this car. It sounds exactly the way I want it. Nice and quiet when I'm cruising, and plenty of bark when I am manually/requesting gear changes.
As luck would have it, a few miles from home a call comes in and I notice the caller ID says it's coming in from OE Tuning and it was BJ calling me to make sure everything was going well and good.
I got a little laugh out of it considering the timing and he began to talk me through the best way to adapt the Tune to the car. I took all his advice and within an hour I could hear, feel and experience a big improvement in performance.
All BS aside, I feel very fortunate that OE did the tune for me. I realize there are many options out there and that includes a local shop not far me with a very good rep. Sometimes you just need to go with your gut. Besides when I visit my Mom out in Cali I always notice how cool the cars sound and run out there and it just simply felt right. (I live in New England)
The one thing I am really impressed with is the response of the throttle. When I tap it, it goes and it goes smooth and pulls for more.
The combination of the new treads, lighter outside diameter wheels, with the ECU has the car running exactly the way I envisioned it at this stage.
Later this month I'll hit the New England dragway to clock it. I can't say for sure exactly but I have zero doubt the car is running in the 13s with ease.
Anyways, just thought I would share the experience here and give a big thanks and shout out to OE for all the service, advice and all around support given this past week. You guys rock it!
Thanks Chris for such a great review! Glad to hear you are enjoying the new found power.
Well, a C63 is a significant jump from the C350 V6. Never going to get that type of power without major upgrades and the cost would be cheaper to just have the C63. All the tune really does is give it very nice throttle response and a little extra pep in the mid to high end from what I can tell. When it opens up it has a better punch to it and sounds a little louder overall. The main reason I avoided the C63 was the gas mileage and the cost of gas last year at the pump. Right now just normal cruising speed it's 29 mpg. (The tune is getting a little better gas mileage) Although not sure you will ever be "happy" with the C350 V6 performance compared to an AMG experience. It's really two different Worlds apart having driven both IMHO.
not my first rodeo with tuning any vehicle or Mercedes V6s. I'm just happy to hear first hand experiences. not looking to get C63 power or prowess. cost realities are different this year to last year.
not my first rodeo with tuning any vehicle or Mercedes V6s. I'm just happy to hear first hand experiences. not looking to get C63 power or prowess. cost realities are different this year to last year.
Gotcha!
I have no doubt these V6s are tuned down before they leave Mercedes.
Plenty of room to safely bring them closer to their true potential.
Ha! No problemo brotha. Any chance you could post a speedo vid of the car? I could try to do one with my car and we could maybe compare the two? Just an idea; think it would be fun to do. Also, it seems like it would make it easier for people to choose which tune they would like... Just a suggestion Chris.
Ha! No problemo brotha. Any chance you could post a speedo vid of the car? I could try to do one with my car and we could maybe compare the two? Just an idea; think it would be fun to do. Also, it seems like it would make it easier for people to choose which tune they would like... Just a suggestion Chris.
Hey Shaz, I think I could put one together. I have a GoPro3 I use when I'm fishing. I can mount it to the rear of the car and use the app on my phone to control it from inside the car. Pretty sure it would work. I'll try it.
Took some pics with the sun out couple days ago. I really think She comes alive at night with the illuminated star on in the front.
Last edited by MrChameleon; 05-14-2015 at 02:55 PM.
Hey Shaz, I think I could put one together. I have a GoPro3 I use when I'm fishing. I can mount it to the rear of the car and use the app on my phone to control it from inside the car. Pretty sure it would work. I'll try it.
Took some pics with the sun out couple days ago.
Chris,
If possible, could you get a speedo vid in? I plan on making one today. Plan on doing a 0-100, 25-110, and a 45-115. Of course i plan on making this trip up to Mexico to do these runs
If possible, could you get a speedo vid in? I plan on making one today. Plan on doing a 0-100, 25-110, and a 45-115. Of course i plan on making this trip up to Mexico to do these runs
Finally got to the Dragway, ended up doing a 14.2 three times in a row in the 1/4 mile.
Poor reactions times on all three cost me dipping down to 13.9 - 14.1
The air was allot warmer than I would of preferred it, I'm going to try again on a little cooler evening. I'm convinced it will go under 14.0 when it's ideal outside. Air temp was low 80's last night when I ran it. I'll try and post the video clip of it once I figure it out on this site.
Overall not bad for the 3.5L. If I do the exhaust I'm sure it will add another 20+ hp and push it over the hump easy. Just not sure I want to invest it, or save towards a C63 next. Have plenty of time to think it over.
I was actually planning on going tomorrow but i won't be able to make it. As far as your quarter mile time i am actually a bit disappointed. I thought you would have done much better. i know of another member named Blickling who has a tune and an axle back exhaust and he ran a 13.7 at 100. As far as your reaction time that does not effect on your quarter mile. I can see that once you improve your 60ft and with better conditions you should break into the 13z. I definitely will be going to the track, but on a day when its cooler or even when i can grab a few buddies of mine too go. Any speedo vids btw? Really would like to compare it with my EC tune.
Yea, I was hoping for a better set of runs, but I am taking a few other things into consideration as to why it was in the 14s.
1)The air was 80+ degrees, humidity 60+ a bit too warm and moist to get peak performance.
2) I was one of the few people there running their car with 3/4 of a tank of fuel.
Most I noticed were 1/4 a tank or less. I could of easily had 10 less gallons in the tank and made another .1 or .2 out of it just reducing weight.
3) taking into account my C350 is a 4Matic, the all-wheel drive does contribute to some hp loss overall.
I'd luv to get it on a kilometer track like they have over in Europe and see what I do in a half mile. lol
My best speed was my 3rd and last run near the end of the night when the temps started to drop. It was about 75 deg. and I passed a 14.2 at 98.3 mph. I'm fairly certain come the end of Sept early Oct if I run it in 50-60 degree air and have only 1/4 tank of gas I'll hit 13.9 ish @ 100 mph. Which for this 3.5L is decent not having done any exhaust work. It's close enough for now.
My buddy ran a 13.9 which was his best for the night against me. He normally runs 13.5s. So after talking with a few other drivers We knew everyone's times were running high mostly due to air temps and the humidity. I could hear quite a few cars "knocking".
The only other Mercedes I seen was a C300 AMG sport sedan did a 15.7 as it's best on it's last run. This is a solo run I did (2nd of night).
Yeah, definitely to much gas in there lol. I was actually in CT yesterday and thought of hitting you up, Chris lol. The AWD should help you with launching but yea it does weigh a bit much to hold you back on the top end. I am hoping to go too the track in about a month or two when it cools down. Def in for some vids though. Ill try to post up of my tune.
Videos, it may be hard to post. Yeah im going extremely early so it should still be cool. I know its going to be a busy Saturday since it is Bimmerfest @ Etown. Should be fun looking at some cars while i wait to run.
Videos, it may be hard to post. Yeah im going extremely early so it should still be cool. I know its going to be a busy Saturday since it is Bimmerfest @ Etown. Should be fun looking at some cars while i wait to run.
Ok cool, make sure you have a full tank of fuel and you use the paddle shifts. lol j/k
LMAO! Its not my first time at the track lol. Tire pressure will be at approximately 20 PSI for the rear, and no more than 1/4 tank of gas. Ill keep the spare in there though. Ill be doing three different types of runs as followed:
Traction off; Sports Mode;No Paddle Shifters
Traction off; Sports Mode; No Paddle Shifters; Using Brake/ Gas theory and Launch at 1500 RPM
Traction off; Sports Mode; Car will be in Manual Model (D1)but will let it upshift on its own.
05-01-2015, 01:21 PM
just throwing this out there lol. Enjoy in good health and be safe!
