Brutherb

I am looking at a 2012 e550 coupe (I know this is the sedan forum but there is no forum for this under coupes). It has the m278 engine which is what I wanted. I am research tunes and trying to decided between Rentech, weistec, or kleeman. The weistech is about $1000 cheaper than the rentech but I am wondering is there a difference.

as well i was looking for the sane model engine but wanted a 4matic and amg version or I guess that would be considered the sport package are they a bit more rare and how much of a difference between the 2 models e550 2wd and e550 4matic amg(sport package)

what would I gain if I went to the c, cls, s models,

DubVBenz

May want to start reading up on M278 cylinder scoring, which seems to be becoming a more frequent occurrence as these engines age.

Left Coast Geek

the amg 'package' on a E550 is purely costmetic, air damnit curb scraper, rear skirt, different tailpipes

the true AMG cars have models like E55, E63, that have actual AMG hand built engines.

Brutherb

I just want this as a toy to tune and okay with so I am wondering thoughts on converting it to 4matic and airmatic suspension if it would be worth it or if there are other suspension options that improve over the Benz factory air suspension. My ml350 blue tech with factory air suspension is alright but my touareg with air suspension feels like it handles better

Left Coast Geek

converting a RWD car to 4matic would likely be a massive undertaking. different transmission (the 4matic transaxle is integrated), front differential mounted on side of the engine with an axle going through the oil pan for the other side, different front suspension pieces, front spindles and hubs, and then there's the whole engine computer codings and stuff, as it is all integrated with the ABS and stuff.

Brutherb

Thank you, I am trying to research performance handling mods/parts to see if 4matic is worth it before I take the dive into this one, the price is right and I can’t find many coupe e550 4matic sand if I do they are easily $10k more

KEY08

It would cost you twice the ten grand to add 4Matic to a RWD. If you want a 4Matic then you should look for only 4Matics. The RWD is more fun with a big motor.

Left Coast Geek

the best setup is the E63S, where you can select pure RWD, or various AWD balances, with varying levels of traction control. the transmission was modified to use electric actuated clutch rather than a torque converter. a 'net-friend' who has a W213 E63S says its the best car he's ever owned and he's had a lot of very high performance cars.... you put it in 'race' mode (which is pure RWD), and you can burn through a set of tires in a few minutes hooning around. kick it back to economy/comfort mode and it becomes a mild mannered grocery getter. It can effortlessly smoke any muscle car out there, nothing like laying down 630 ft-lbs onto all 4, and it has the big 6 piston amg/brembos to hammer down from insane speeds.

S. Madman

If you want a coupe go for a CL550, it has both 4WD and airmatic or the replacement the S550 coupe.

On the highway the E550 coupe with RWD will be faster.

I hope you are ready for the maintenance on the Airmatic and 4WD, since you are saying tune.

Cylinder scoring is because people are not doing 5k mile oil changes, and wait 10k, while beating the living light out them.

Want a reliable "toy" buy a E550 coupe and do 5k oil changes...done.

And yes I love both my W212 E550, and my S213 E63, but I can afford to play, and pay for the maintenance.

VarunBajaj

Just bought a 2012 e550 coupe and am absolutely loving it. I have a 2016 Touareg so this one is more of a toy but since this is my 1st private buy, I just want to make sure I have everything checked off. I read on here that the oil change should be every 5k kms...thats low, I thought that would be true only for AMGs.
Also, i wanna tune the baby...ive checked out a few tunes, renntech and ecu hardly add any power, theres another one that takes it to 540horses and isn't as expensive as renntech. Does anyone know more about this?

Dane500

Adding a couple hundred torques and 100+ horsepower to an "older" car with mounds of miles is I'll advised. Consider supporting upgrades to protect the vehicle before several thousand dollars in go fast.

Blkvip

for a tune just go with one of the top tier companies. all the "canned" tunes give you the same result within a few. do forget to cut the spark plug change interval down after tuning it. 2wd or 4wd imo is almost unimportant. not sure if you live in a snowy state just get a full on set of snow tires and the 2wd will do good.
definitely go for the sport option. at the end of the day itll have the "sporty amg look" im sure you want.

And as mentioned stay on top of regular maintaince. im at 145k miles zero issues, zero leaks, zero oil burn. Motul oil at 6k miles or so.

S. Madman

I live in the USA we use miles. So 5k miles, not 5km. I have only gotten the Renntech, and had not issues.

VarunBajaj

Yeah, I realized later. How much power did the renntech increase in the car? Weistech says they take the car to 540 horses after the stage 1. Does anyone have any experience with that?

John H

I, too, was wondering about Weistech's 540hp claim. If true, I may consider swapping out my existing tune.

S. Madman

I never got to dyno it. But the local Mustangs, and Camaros etc agree I make way more than stock.

I got it originally to terrorize the local Altimas, Camries,etc without much effort. They like acting bossy on law abiding citizens. They drive like they got nothing to lose, and I am not up to that kind of game.

Slam on the accelerator, and vanish into the next zip code in no time.

AllPhonesAretap

Yea what's with that?? Toyota drivers LOVE OBSTRUCTING TRAFFIC

VarunBajaj

I thought I was the only one that felt that way!! Everytime you have to overtake from the right, there's this huge *** line up with a corolla or civic in the front!

Left Coast Geek

around here, the #1 road blocker is a Prius. #2 is a generic contractor type pickup truck, I mean, why hurry, they'll just have to go to work when they get there.

VarunBajaj

Good thing this beast (E550 coupe) helps you get around like no other car I've driven! Has anyone else had dreams where they've lost control of the car (it's that fast) lol. I had nightmares the 1st month I got this baby home!

VarunBajaj

I know we are not an AMG (E550) but I believe this car does have a sort of cult following and everybody that owns it loves it. Don't we have any meet ups in the Toronto GTA area? I'd love to connect with some owners and see what they've done to their cars!!

altesporsche

It certainly does have a bit of a following, its a great car and the M278 is a great engine.
I'm in the GTA, nothing done to the car yet as i only picked it up a few weeks ago, but it will be tuned in the next few weeks. Then ill be looking for exhaust and intake work and going to stage 2 by the spring. Its my daily/winter car so i wont be going crazy with it, but do i find it hard to leave a car stock. My summer fun car is a 911 turbo, so a tune is 100% needed for me to make this car fun.

VarunBajaj

I have been dabbling with the idea of a tune, but at the same time the RWD and the winter combined sort of scares me.
I'd love to meet up and see what you do with your car. Where in the GTA are you?

AnnabellaCosta

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to chime in and help out if I can. As for the tunes, I totally get how overwhelming it can be with so many options out there. Have you tried checking out some online forums or reviews from other car enthusiasts? That could give you a better idea of which brand to go with. As for the 4matic and AMG versions, they both have their pros and cons. The 4matic would be better for handling in rough weather, while the AMG version is all about performance and sportiness. It really depends on what you're looking for in a car. If you're still having trouble deciding, why not try a fun approach? Sometimes I use this dice roller https://flipsimu.com/dice-roller/ to help myself make a decision. Anyway, just wanted to share my 2 cents. Thanks for letting me in.