So I drove to the local dragstrip (Southwest International Raceway) in Tucson, this track is 20 minutes from home and is the same track I have been using for the last 12 years(at this location alone). The track is located at 3100ft of elevation and it was 95 degrees when I first got there at around 730pm.


After my first pass I weighted the car and it was 4132lbs at the track scales, that was without me and without the spare tire. I had a 1/4 tank and I mixed 2 remaining galons of 91oct with 4 galons of 100oct so I am estimating the mix to be around "96-97 oct". My car has 36000 miles and otherwise was bone stock.


I did a first pass of 13.1@110 but I worked my way down to 12,8s and solid 111mph traps.


For those unfamiliar with heat and altitude, there is an official NHRA conversion chart that you can calculate the ET and traps at sea level:
http://www.hardtail.com/techtips/altitude.html


I raced my friend with his Eurocharged tuned E55 Kompressor(470hp-516lb-tq stock) but tuned is 512hp/563lb-tq and we ran identical ET(12.8) but I pulled consistent 1-mph on the traps over his set up.


I can't emphasize enough how underrated the M278 engine is. I am guessing this engine probably puts like 460hp and like 470lb-tq or more, why do I say this? well, a co-worker of my friend showed up with his C6 vete(400 hp LS2) and he was trapping 104-105mph traps.. I put 6-8 cars on the vette ALL the time.


Furthermore, the CLS ran and trap faster than my previous C63 AMG (1 tenth quicker and 1mph faster) even though my C63 was 200lbs lighter and had "49hp more".


I did the conversion for sea level and it comes to 12.37@115.87mph (still in the summer time). I can't wait to run a tune on this car in colder weather at lower elevation. I decided to post because there are not many post on CLS 1/4 miles.


The blue efficiency badges HAVE TO GO. Two different people asked me if my car was a diesel (WTF).


Here is a video:


E55 AMG vs Corvette vs CLS550:

I hope that you enjoy it. Botton line, the M278 engines are making no less than 450hp crank and 470lb-tq..(in my opinion).

 

Here is a 4 matic cls 550 biturbo tuned running a 12.41@113.07 at Palm Beach, Florida (21ft elevation). The 4 matics are an advantage off the line but the extra weight drag hinders the traps. I wonder what tune the car on the video has.

 

Nice cant wait to take mine to the track. Just got some nitto invos that hook well .305's. Also the m278 is 440hp and 516 torque

 

^^ yeah but the 440hp(450) and 518lb-tq are for the higher dollar models(S class, CL class etc).
I saw the 305 tires on tirerack and that is one of my next mods whenever I run bald on the current 285s. Speaking of the 285s, I had one of my tires set up at 54psi for no reason. I ended lowering the rears to 30psi.


My friend told me that he launches his E55 on the higher airmatic position for better launch(according to him). I never had a chance to test this theory. He was saying that with the car lifted the rear end has more travel to squad down during hard launches. My averages 60' times were disappointing 2.1-2.2 sec. I did a couple of 2.0 sec 60'...


I am hoping to improve the 60' once I get the tune and put fatter 305mm rubber in the rear.

 

Nice times. I believe the tune on the car in the video you posted is running the first version of the Renntech tune. If i'm not mistaken the newer tunes are more powerful and would net better results.

I myself just had my car tuned by OE tuning on Monday and I just happened to do a pull on a mexican highway with a CLS 63 and he couldn't pull on me I held my lead into the the triple digits. I'm very happy with my tune and glad I traded my E-class for the CLS550.

 

Ricer




congrats on the racism






so......these terms would be okay too:




beaner


paster


chicken lover


etc.............

 

Anybody in northern california willing to meet up at the track?

 

I truly don't know what are you talking about. Are you referring to anything said on the videos posted on the link? I didn't film the videos or participated on any comments. The videos were filmed by my friend Gaby which drives the E55 AMG. He was filming some videos from his phone and also from a Go-Pro. If there is anything that offended anyone then I apologize for posting the videos.

 

Since when is "Ricer" a racist term? Last time I checked it was describing all races of people that make unnecessary useless,modifications to their usually import car.. Like huge spoilers on a civic or fart can exhaust etc..

 

I do not buy the claimed 500hp. My stock E550 4matic pulled 109mph all day long at an elevation of 1.200ft. My car put down ~375hp at the wheels and 404hp at the crank. I absolutely do not understand, where the rumors come from, that the M278 puts down more power than its rated. It obviously does not - I know four different M278 which had been tested! The 20% drivetrain-losses, that some guys claim are plain - and bad - guesses! Modern drivetrains - especially those equipped with the 7g-TronicPlus - are that much better!

 

================================================== =================
I do not buy the claimed 500hp. My stock E550 4matic pulled 109mph all day long at an elevation of 1.200ft. My car put down ~375hp at the wheels and 404hp at the crank. I absolutely do not understand, where the rumors come from, that the M278 puts down more power than its rated. It obviously does not - I know four different M278 which had been tested! The 20% drivetrain-losses, that some guys claim are plain - and bad - guesses! Modern drivetrains - especially those equipped with the 7g-TronicPlus - are that much better!
================================================== ================


^^ (I will respond you in a respectful manner).


Who said 500hp? did I said 500hp? You see, you are the one starting rumors. You have to be truly the only person that believe your own history. For you to come here and make that conclusion it seems like you need to do a whole lot more research. Lets starts:


1) What certified device have you use to record your 109mph traps? I use a official NHRA certified Compulink start trak with a 2014 software provided by southwest international raceway
2) Do you know that the E550 4 matic add more weight and has more drivetrain loses?
That would explain why the 109mph
3) I raced a 2013 420hp mustang GT, a tuned E55(512hp-563lb-tq) and a C6 (400hp) and I pulled anywhere between 1mph to 6 mph to all of the cars). My car weighted 4132lbs which there is only one logical explanation, the M278 makes a whole lot more power than advertised.
4) You have all tuner that also claim that the engine has more power


Seriously, my CLS even trap faster than my own C63AMG and run quicker as well even though it had 200lbs added weight. What else could it be?


Here is a link from me a few years back when I first ran my C63 AMG at the same track:
https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...irst-time.html


Last but not least, you are claiming that you put 375whp but your crank power is 404hp? seriously? so your drivetrain loses are about 6.25%. You see, you make absolutely no sense. Your car is making around 440hp (with a 18% drive train loses).

 

I did a direct quote to your post, didn't I? What is the title of the youtube video shown there?


I am not sure. This company provides timing for all 1/4 mile events over here:


https://www.facebook.com/mobiletiming


However, I do also have driftbox-files with similar numbers.

I know. The E550 is 95kg heavier. 4matic adds additional losses.

Guess!

claim, no prove!

Wild guess. The figures I posted were measured (!!!!!!!!!!!!!) not guessed!


Why is your car faster than an E55? Well, the E55 has the old 5g-Tronic. The 7g-Tronic PLUS, our beasts use, has (a) a way superior efficiency and (b) a much better gearing.


Just to give you a few numbers - the torque converter of the NAG 2 FE Plus has a 8% better efficiency than the one used in the NAG 2 (7g-Tronic). The NAG 1 (5g-Tronic) was even worse! This is just for the torque converter - however the drivetrain is so much more.


And your 18% are just physical-nonsense! Drivetrain-losses are a function of mechanical efficiency and inertia. Inertia however is depended on how fast one accelerates - how fast axles, rotors, wheels and so on spool up. So strap down your car on a dyno. Now do a few runs and alter the eddy-current brake. You will get the following result. The more power the eddy-current brake makes, the slower the car will rev up, the bigger the rwhp will be! So it is complete B***S*** to argue with a fixed number of drivetrain-losses!


PS: I never said, that I do not believe your et. I just said, that strongly suspect the 500hp of the tuned CLS 550 4matic and that all the rumors of stronger than advertised M278 have never been proved. To be even more precise: There are several graphs that show the opposite: The M278 is spot on!

 

^^^ I agree with some of your responses. My car is not tuned though...I just got it used about 2 week ago with 35500 miles. I have seen the videos of the G tronic plus(newer generation) and I am aware that it has less drag and improves gas mileage but the drivetrain loses are higher than what you think.

It looks like we disagree with the manufacturer HP claims and the drivetrain loses... I am happy with my car and that is what it matters, are you happy with yours?

So, what do you think about the tuners claimed HP and torque?


http://www.germancarforum.com/commun...10-550i.46889/

 

Awesome!! I was curious what times our cars ran.. found a few youtube videos of 0-60 and 1/4 mile. My guess a stock cls550 4matic would do 13-13.2 1/4, and 4.5 0-60 not bad for a 4200 lb car

 

C63newdude, just to clarify that you're car is bone stock and non-4matic right? 12.8 in the 1/4 at that elevation does make a good argument for the m278 to be underrated.

 

^^^ Correct, my car is stock and is a RWD version. The only aid was 4 galons of 100oct which I already estimated to make my mixture around 96oct but remember, that helps a little bit, you don't get the full benefit unless you have a tune for it.
I also removed the spare tire and 3 floor mats (about 55lbs). The car weighted 4132lbs with no driver and 1/4 tank.


You skipped the most important part (the trap speed). 111mph and change at this altitude with this weight in this heat is moving.

 

Impressive runs! It's really crazy how underrated the new CLS and all the new cars with turbo motors are these days.

 

Here is a member that ran a 12.3@115 at YAS Marina circuit in Abu Dabhi. The track elevation there is only 6'. This confirms what I posted on the first post, once you do a NHRA altitude conversion you will come up with a 12.3@115 (from 12.8@111).


Here is the link of the other dude running his 12.3@115.:


http://www.dragtimes.com/2012-Merced...ecs-25463.html


Bottom line, the CLS 550 is a beast of car. It runs low 12s, traps 115, weights 4200lbs and it "only has 402 hp".

 

Why would you use any conversion? The M278 alters boost to compensate for temperature and air-pressure-changes.


And sorry, there is no way a stock CLS 550 runs 12.3@115mph. That would result into 0-125 in 14-15s. No way.

 

^^ I heard this thing about compensating for altitude, it somewhat makes some compensation. I will ask you though: have you taken a turbo car(same turbo car) to two different drag strip at significant altitude difference? .... I did:


12 STI ran at SIR(3100ft ) ran a best of 12.9. Then ran it at SAR (San Antonio 600ft) and ran 12.5.
06 Evo 9 ran at SIR (3100ft) 12.5 1/4 miles times then ran at Firebird(Phoenix 1200ft) 12.2/ times.
****none of the car were stock .

I have driven to the summit of Pikes Peak 12,000 ft elevation (back in 2004) on a Subaru WRX. The car performed badly on the last miles towards the summit. The engine was incapable of making decent power and would bog down badly. Altitude makes a big difference even though the car attempts to compensate.

I might take my own car to SAR (San Antonio Raceway) soon and I would like to compare. All the cars that I taken back to lower altitude elevation track ran faster and quicker. The lack of oxygen at altitude I noticeable even when the car makes attempts to compensate

 

I am sorry, but you are mixing apples with oranges. The M278 does alter boost with intake temperature and intake pressure. Others do not.


Of course there is a limit - the intercooler. With a stock engine, one will reach the limits of the intercooler at >105°F outside air temperature.

 

Cool videos, love these cars....picked up my E from service today and sat in a new CLS...love it....actually afraid to take it for a test drive.....I know what happens next.....my next car

Ricer

(Ricer: from the latin word Ricarius meaning to suck at everything you attempt)

A person who makes unecessary modifications to their most often import car (hence the term "rice") to make it (mostly make it look) faster. The most common modifications are (but not limited to):

- Huge exhaust that serves no purpose but to make the car louder
- Large spoiler on the back that looks like something Boeing made for the 747
- Lots of after-market company stickers they don't have parts from, but must be cool
- Expensive rims that usually cost more than the car itself
- Bodykit to make the car appear lower, usually accented with chicken wire
- Clear tail lights and corner signals
- A "performace intake"- a tube that feeds cold air to their engine usually located in areas of excessive heat (behind or on top of the engine)
- Most of these riced cars (a.k.a. rice rockets or rice burners) are imports; Honda Civics, Accords, Integras, CRXs, RSXs, Del Sols Mitsubishi Eclipses, Lancers, Subaru Imprezas, however there are some domestics such as Chevrolet Caviliers, Dodge Neons, Ford Focus; small, slow, economy cars designed specifically to go slow. Please note that some Supras, Skylines, WRX's and other higher performance imports are designed to go fast, and are therfore not always considered rice. It really depends on the severity of the case.

The "ricer" attempts to make their car "performance" by adding the modifications listed above. These ricers are not confined to any one ethnic group or color, however different ethnic groups are known for certain styles.

 

would the 2016 cls550 awd be faster when tuned since it has the 9 speed transmission ? What would it take to get that car in the 11s?