Hi all - only until next Tuesday now before I collect my new GTS which I had a chance to visit earlier today prior to the workshop doing the PDI. Can't wait!






Whilst chatting to the dealer about a guy I know who's blown up the engine of his CLA 220d as a consequence of removing some air filters and using a non MB recognised remap (£16k repair bill. Gulp!), he mentioned that Brabus were the only guys MB would recognise when it comes to honouring the MB warranty in the event of any failure. Well, at least in the UK as far as my limited knowledge goes.

Anyway it got me thinking, as the cost of having the standard Brabus remap didn't sound too expensive. In the region of £3-4k apparently. This increases the BHP to roughly 600 and the torque up another 100nm up to 750nm. 0-60 comes down to 3.6 and finally max speed is a smidge over 200mph

My question is, how much am I really going to notice this increase in performance in the real world? 0-60 isn't really relevant and my recollection was that the mid-range was hardly lacking, so it is worth the outlay?

You guys in the 'States do this much more than in the UK, so I'd be interested in what you think as this would be the first time for me.

Thanks!

 

Are you absolutely sure of the cost of the Brabus tune? I am asking because I called Brabus in the US and they quoted $11,000 plus tax installed. If it is only £3-4k, then it is definitely worth it to get the Brabus tune. I have not tuned my GTS yet, but I can say that a simple tune turned my E63 into an absolute monster!

 

No I'm not actually! The guy at the dealer mentioned that he'd had an E class Coupe remapped by Brabus and didn't think the cost would be much more for the GTS. He might well be wrong!

I'll find out and post in due course.

 

Actually it's a bit more. I've been quoted £6k including VAT fully fitted. That's $8,350 at today's exchange rate.

 

Wow! Gorgeous car.

 

Why not Weistec? Only $3k and it made a noticeable difference, don't have any issues with warranty either. The car is a lot more fun to drive now.

 

That's a possibility. My car has 300 miles on it, so it will be a while before I have to decide. I know Brabus is definitely out though.

 

Avoid the Brabus Tax--- Weistec has done my car right...

 

From the Super Moderator? That's one way to make sure Brabus never sponsors the boards!

In all seriousness, though, if all you're doing is an ECU software flash there are lots of ways to go. If you want to do ECU + downpipes, maybe look at some transmission upgrades as well, I'm sure you can find some Chicago shops (cough- *ahem*- cough) who can offer you all of that for less than the Brabus ECU.

 

I was member first a long time ago and the majority of my contributions are from personal input as you know. Since Brabus is not and never has been a sponsor I don't have to recuse myself.

 

For sure, man. Just kiddin' around.

 

I hear ya brother, keep building those bad *** machines.

 

Mercedes does not recognize or have any deal with aftermarket suppliers, so in case of a tune or something going wrong, you would be screwed. An actual tech on the private lounge forums posted this when someone commented about a dealer offering/upholding a Renntech tune.

Car looks great though, might want to source some other options besides Brabus.

 

This.

The main thing is to have a good relationship with a tuner who has a proven track record and who will stand behind their work and your car if the unthinkable happens. If your tuner is trying to sell you on the idea that the dealer/OEM will take on the bill, watch out.

 

Well what then becomes the dealers position when they sell the tune at the dealership and damages are determined to be caused by the tune ??

Like the OP said the dealer would cover Brabus tunes. This was the whole point of the post in that the tune could be performed with NO liability to customer.

As a lawyer you couldn't defend a dealer trying to avoid paying damages on the very product it sells and profits from.

 

Have them put that in writing when you buy the tune.

 

Exactly....

 

Cheers guys. Interesting. I'll live with it for a few months and then decide whether I want to go down this road.

I'm coming from a CLS63 which I never found under powered and the GTS is in a different league to this, so I think it's probably doubtful but we'll see!

 

You pay to play and you do take a risk. However the risk is very small if you deal with a reputable tuner like the ones mentioned above.
You do not know what you are missing until you drive a tuned car. Yes the CLS or E is fast stock but it becomes super car fast with a tune.
Related to reliability and potential breakdown, it really depends on the platform IMHO. The 5.5TT was a very solid one and I have not heard yet of anyone having a major engine or transmission failure with it when tuned only.
The verdict is still out on the 4.0TT version. I would expect that it is being pushed a bit more from the factory but would venture to say that it would still be safe. AMG has already said that versions with more power will come out.

 

Just for reference, dealer here also uses brabus as an official tuning option and one car they tuned had a major engine issue. Car was fully covered by brabus and dealer.

So if you have that kind of arrangement and want peace of mind its a good option to have.