wobbles

Gentlemen (and ladies, if any are about),

Greetings from Singapore . After a year and a half of tears and teeth gnashing, I'm finally dumping my ill-advised C200K for a new E200K (delivery should be sometime in mid October).

There's this automobile workshop in Singapore that can modify the stock 1.8L Kompressor engine to pump out 300Nm of torque and boost the standard 163 ponies under the hood to 240bhp. The modifications are by this company called Vaeth (Væth). The company will also install new anti roll bars, bigger caliper brakes & lower the ride by 15mm, as well as install new 17" rims.

The reason why I'm contemplating this route is that taxes on cars in Singapore are insane. A E200K retails for approximately S$200K, where-as a E500 goes for more than half a million Singapore dollars (1 USD = S$1.69). The road tax is also a major killer, and it's based on the engine capacity. So, if I can squeeze more horses from a smaller capacity engine, I save more in the long run.

My main concern is whether these extra ponies would somehow shorten engine life, or increase wear & tear. Has anyone heard of this "Vath"? and what other modifications would you reckon I'd need, to squeeze as much as I can from the E200K's puny little powerplant?

Many thanks in advance ...

johna1

Since no-one else has replied...

Those prices are enough to make your eyes water. I knew cars were dear in Singapore, but didn't realise it was that bad! Just for a laugh, what does an S600 cost?

As far as the e200K goes, I have just had a look at the MB site here, and the smallest NZ model is the 240 which puts out 130kw and does 0-100 in 9.1.

Looking at the C Class, the C200k is rated at 120Kw and does 0-100 in 9.4. Interestingly, the C240 is only rated at 125Kw and does 0-100 in 9.5 (slower than the 200).

So I would guess you will be still looking at a 0-100 under 10 seconds, which is kind of my limit for a car.

I would be wary of after market engine mods on a new car (especially one that dear). The engine is already supercharged, so you are getting more performance out of the limited capacity.

Anyway, in Singapore where are you going to use the extra performance???

Good luck with whatever you choose, I am sure you will enjoy the car.

wobbles

Hi johna1! Thanks for your thoughts. Prices are crazy in Singapore - and an S600's RRP is "available on application" (i.e. you have to call them up for a quote). Usually, cars like these retail for more than half a million bucks.

Anyway, to answer your question - I need the extra horses & torque for pulling in and out of traffic, and when I take the long drives up north to Malaysia on the North-South highway.

Thanks for replying anyway

Cheers!

glojo

Hi,
If you send 'Oslo' a p.m. he is a very knowledgeable person and I believe his vehicle is a 200K Estate.

Good luck with your new purchase, but make sure you check the warranty issues before modifying the engine.

Regards,
John
A damp misty morning in Torquay

wobbles

Hi there, John (interesting point - the earlier reply was penned by a "johna1", and I'm John too) & thanks for the tip.

I've PM'ed oslo - hopefully, he'll be able to give me some pointers.

This is a great forum

Cheers,
John

glojo

Totally agree this is an excellent source of information.

My son's name is also John and I have two brother-in-law's called John.

BoSoxFan

I have a nephew John, my best friend in high school was named John, and my wife has a cousin John. Small world! . Oh, BTW, I'm addicted to this forum, too.

Fastbuck

FYI. I'm reading this sitting in the John!!!

dacbiet

Would it be less expensive (and possible) to buy and register the new car in Malaysia?

saffrontiger

I have a friend named John. He's a good guy. I have another friend who named his son John. He's a good baby. John. A good name.

F1Fan

Wireless in the toilet!!!

Oslo

PM'ed you my answer as well:

We have the same "problem" here, and the prices you mention are equal to those here. I have never been interested in any kinds of "mods", as I think the car looks good as it is. When it comes to performance, I think that I have plenty of power and thrust for my style of driving. I use my car mostly in city traffic, and it's more than enough for me. My former car was BMW 525, and the Mercedes perform equal or better.

As you understand, I'm probably not the right person to give you any advices regarding this. I don't know the company you mention either. But one thing is for sure. You will loose your warranty if something goes wrong after tampering with the car. The repair costs are expensive when you must pay for them yourself, and they will also blame you for other things that can go wrong as well, and that is not related.

Ps: Glad to JOiN the club, since my middle name is Jon....

Fastbuck

What else!

Oslo

So Fastbuck! Who will win on Saturday?

vs

Fastbuck

It's got to be:

glojo

Still wiping the tears of laughter away.

Mind you I suppose Scotland is bound to win a game eventually

Good luck to you both, and may the best 'Jon' win

Regards
John
Overcast morning in Torquay

wobbles

Hi guys, thanks so much for replying ... I'll say it again, this is a great Forum, and there are plenty of friendly folk around . What I hope to do is to grab digital shots of my C200 and the E200, and attach them to my signature, like what some of the others are doing... that will have to wait until:

(a) my E200 arrives (should be soon, should be soon)
(b) I figure out how to do the attachment piccie thingie

Singaporeans cannot drive Malaysian registered cars. In anycase, I've done a check on the Malaysian prices ... bloody ridiculous as well, even more scary! A E200 (built in Germany) retails for RM475,000 (US$1 = RM3.8, $S1 = RM2.3). The E200 (built in Malaysia, apparently they have a plant there) is slightly more affordable, going at RM375,000 or thereabouts.

The details were gotten off this www.nzwheels.com.my website.

Honestly, the Benzes are a great marque to drive and own, but if they keep pricing themselves like this, who the heck can comfortably afford one?!?!?!

Miguk_Saram

Isn't that the point, though? Mercedes-Benz' are classified as "Luxury" cars -- by definition, they wouldn't be a "luxury" if everyone could afford them.

(Just an observation. I am NOT justifying the price.. eek!!)

wobbles

I suppose you are right ... but I guess I was referring to the local prices here in Singapore, compared to what a similar model would cost in the UK or US.

BoSoxFan

But, aren't the high prices in your locale due to the local taxes? MB's are competitively priced with comparable marques in the US where the taxes are much more reasonable. From another thread on this forum, that also seems to be the case in Germany. You can't blame MB for your government's confiscatory tax policy.

glojo

Hi Boxer
In all fairness I believe that ALL countries must be guilty of some form of ""confiscatory tax policy""""

In our country it is road fuel, but that is offset with our National Health scheme (of which I am neither praising, nor criticising).

Oslo has stated that in Norway Mercedes-Benz is also quite expensive, but the cost is surely relative?

Regards,
John
Night time in Torquay

BoSoxFan

I'll withdraw my perjorative adjective but the point I was trying to make is that the high price is due more to the taxes than the prices set by MB. Because of trade treaties between the EU and the US, there are limited, if any, import taxes imposed on automobiles by the US. Except for a modest "gas guzzler" tax which has now been repealed, purchase taxes on automobiles in the US are neutral among brands and price points. Consequently, an E class is comparable in price to similarly equipped competitiors from BMW, Jaguar, Lexus, etc. This past week, MB was advertising in US newspapers that an entry-level C class can be purchased for $30,000. Each government and each citizen can vote for whatever a country's tax policy should be and arguments about the proper tax policy will go on forever but if the taxes are high, then the manufacturer should not be blamed for the high prices.

Oslo

Manufactures like MB and BMW even try to regulate the prices to countries where the taxes are insane. Therefore, customers that want to buy tax-free cars for export will find that countries like Denmark and even Norway is among the cheapest when tax is deducted.

BoSoxFan

I suppose that is a business decision that a manufacturer must make -- sacrifice profits so as to maintain a market base and market share. Something similar has happened in the US. Over the last couple of years the USD-EUR exchange rate has deteriorated by close to 40% which would theoretically make products manufactured in the EU 40% more expensive in US dollars. I have not checked but my perception is that MB prices have not risen accordingly. So, MB must have made a conscious decision to keep prices low and sacrifice profits so as to maintain market share in their largest market outside Germany. Of course, we see the effect of their policy in decontenting.

BoSoxFan

Hey John, it's not Boxer, it's BoSoxFan for Boston Red Sox fan (as opposed to Chicago White Sox or ChiSox), the next World Series champions.
While you were enjoying your rest during "nightime in Torquay" last night, I was watching them beat the Orioles 9-3 in balmy Camden Yards.