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Hey guys, I am a new member on here but I have been lurking the forums for a few years now and I just decided to make an account. I am inquiring about how fast you can make the W222 S63 platform.
I am coming from a 2014 Audi S8 that I unfortunately totaled last week due to hitting two deer on the highway at 80 mph (if you want to see what that looked like just let me know lol). That car had an APR Stage 2 ECU tune, JB4 piggyback (stack tuned), APR downpipes, custom TCU tune, SRM intakes, 034 Motorsport drivetrain mount inserts, 15mm spacers, and some tints. Everything else was stock. Best run was 10.45 @135mph on 104oct race gas with a 1.67 60ft.
I am now looking to get into an S63 because a year ago I had the chance to drive an S63 and an S8 back to back, and I fell in love with the S63 after that. I have always been an Audi/VW guy my whole life and have always loved Mercedes as well but that S63 blew me away. The S8 is much lighter and more nimble and the S63 drives like a boat but it makes up for it with everything else. I got the S8 because I had the opportunity to purchase it for an amazing deal.
How fast could you make one of these? Is it possible to get it as fast as the S8? Or high 10s at least? Please flood me with information. Even if I’d have to do upgraded turbos and whatnot, let me know so I can weigh my options.
I just checked that out and it looks amazing! Would the W4 be pushing the limits of the car? How safe is it? Also, the one I’m looking at has about 51k miles. What should I look out for with these cars at that mileage? I do all my own work and can get parts with dealer discounts through family shops if I need to, as well as good pricing with aftermarket OE parts. Although I will say that a car of this caliber is a bit intimating to work on, even coming from an S8. I am much much more familiar with the Audi/VW line as well as BMW.
I hope I’m not being annoying with all the questions and am aware that I could do some searching on the forums (which I am definitely doing) but I’d just rather get the questions out of the way right now.
Another thing I want to mention is that I’ve been reading on the big power M157s and it seems like the transmission control module holds it back a lot. I’m assuming a custom TCU tune would fix this?
Sounds good, I will check on all of that and give an update on my decision.
FYI you may have misread it but I am coming from an S8, not R8. No problem though, although I wish it was an R8 lol!!! The RS7/S8 platform is supremely underrated and can be absolute monsters with just a few add ons.
From what I see it appears that all these cars with the 7 speed MCT have trouble getting off the line due to the torque limiters. I will try to find a way around that.
Nonetheless I appreciate your responses and thank you for your help!
Sounds good, I will check on all of that and give an update on my decision.
FYI you may have misread it but I am coming from an S8, not R8. No problem though, although I wish it was an R8 lol!!! The RS7/S8 platform is supremely underrated and can be absolute monsters with just a few add ons.
From what I see it appears that all these cars with the 7 speed MCT have trouble getting off the line due to the torque limiters. I will try to find a way around that.
Nonetheless I appreciate your responses and thank you for your help!
Yeah, I did misread about the S8/R8.
Read up on these 2 threads. I’m sure it help out, the MCT are laggy, but as some say the TCU helps little.
The S8 and even RS/S7 are monster cars. Early S63's in my opinion were not great cars as far as refinement but if your into modified cars that might not be an issue.
The S8 is one of the biggest underrated cars there is. People overlook because of status. If your a younger person the MB will not compare as far as sportiness goes. Getting a car into the 10's is not an easy proposition as any modification requires another modification or willingness to accept a shortcoming. Remember when the factory releases the car its the fastest it can go without ANY compromises.
The s8/s63/760i/etc are meant for high speed highway cruising and that is where the MB just shines. If I was looking to drag race the car I would look into another platform like an e63 or even a Hellcat. The aftermarket supports mods for the s63 but they dont support quick fixes for the parts you will break if raced constantly like the Hellcat.
What tires were you running? Call Weistec they will have your answer in 5 minutes. If you want a great street tune call Renntech.
10's in an S8 is F'ng insane!! How did you run again don't you need cage and safety equip at that speed?
I am 21 years old, always been into the big German sedans since I was very young. Honestly not even the sedans but just European cars in general and I’m so picky that I refuse to own & drive anything else for the time being. As a matter of fact my first car was a 2001 Audi A8L, followed by a 2000 BMW 740i M-Sport, 2012 BMW 550i xDrive, 2005 VW Phaeton, two more 740iLs, and then the S8. Still have the Phaeton as my “beater” (realistically just not as new) car. Very big into cars and I live in the Metro Detroit area so I am surrounded by all types of cars, specifically American muscle. My best friend has a 930whp Hellcat that runs low 9s and another good friend of mine has a GTR that is in the mid-low 8s, both of them being daily drivable if they want to. Me being in the 10s was old news to them haha.
I test drove another S63 today and got reminded that it is COMPLETELY different from the S8. The Audi is most definitely a driver oriented car, but I LOVE the technology of the Mercedes. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. Can’t have everything I guess...
I ran 10s in my S8 with just an APR ECU tune, JB4 piggyback, custom TCU tune, APR downpipes, and race gas on stock spec Continental tires at 40psi. I ran 10.69 on normal 93 octane. The S63 would be an absolute monster off a roll but the transmission holds it back on a dig. NHRA regulations state that cars which run under 10.00 should have a cage in it but to be honest out here it’s rare to see... especially if they race on the street, which most do.
The thing that disappointed me most about the S63 was the throttle lag as well as just the “throw you back in your seat” feel. Also the fact that it doesn’t launch hard despite being only 120lbs heavier than the S8. The S8 is definitely more aggressive yet super refined which is the best of both worlds.
Still torn between the two!
Last edited by klaidi_g; Jul 19, 2019 at 02:38 AM.
Reason: Adding info
I honestly wouldn't buy an s63 over an S8 but that is me. I have to ask what doesn't the Audi have in way of tech that the Benz does?
There are so many threads on the S63 with its tranny roughness to the launch. It is a great road car but for me not for around town. I have to say its the oddest driving car I had ever tested. Launching the car if you get it right its a rocket and if you lift all hell breaks loose. Other times you sitting the waiting and then whoosh. I think with the weight they wanted t o save that tranny and also to get those 0-60's they wanted to make sure you knew you wanted it to accelerate that fast and weren't just pushing the pedal aggressively at a stop light. Think of all the people who have never driven a fast car getting in pressing the gas at a stop sign in the rain and if the car launched every time there would be deaths everywhere.
Pull all your mods off the wrecked car and get another Audi!
In a perfect world I’d have a fully modded RS7, tuned S63, a twin turbo Huracan as the real killer, and a TDI of some sort... gotta get that gas mileage somehow lol
When I traded my E63s with turbo upgrades and downpipes from Renntech more than a year ago, I knew I was leaving the 10 second car category. As a matter a fact, doing a google search will not find little to no W222 S63 in the 10 second category.
IMHO, it’s like buying a 5,500 pound tank and want it to make it fast if not faster than a F90 M5 because let’s face it, it’s not going to happen.
With a ECU tune and downpipes on a s63 will be faster than any 4 door sedan in its weight class, but if one want to beat a 4,500 pound sedan in the same weight class mod for mod is not happening in my world.
First off, I also switched from a 2014 Audi S8 once it needed $3500 of out of warranty service, and then bought an S63 Sedan. I liked the S8s handling a lot more, but you can certainly make the S class plenty fast, the M157 engine is actually quite tunable, Weistec does turbo upgrades which make those boats fly. My friend had the highest stage with everything you could do to the S63 and it was a rocket ship. No matter what you do they will never handle like the S8, Audi's Quattro all wheel drive is the best in the industry.
From what you wrote, I don't think the S63 is for you. For me, I've had many fast cars so I was happy with the standard S63 without any upgrades. There's nowhere to really drive fast in the DC Metro area where I live but a 0-60 in 3.4 seconds is plenty fast for the boat this car is. I just love the fact that it's ridiculously comfortable (I have back issues so this is truly appreciated), my friends LOVE the leg room in the back seat and it's used often with 4 people and sometimes 5. Also, I would never need it to be faster, I just don't give a crap about ultra fast anymore since I'm 58 now. My other car is super fast and I never get to drive it super fast since it's horrible traffic most everywhere here.
I bought my car since I love the way it looks, loved the steering wheel, the tech, the rear S63 badging was one of the biggest reasons, it's a bit more exclusive than an S560, and ...oh, did I mention the rear badging... and side badging? It's my 3rd one and I'm a die hard BMW 7 series guy. The Audis are stunning but not for me... at all. I can't put my finger on it but I'm just not an Audi guy. Not a fan of the 5 ring logo or the interior dash compared to the MB S63.
That's my 2 cents. Good luck!
Last edited by stever500; Jul 23, 2019 at 10:48 PM.
You're screwed. 21 and loving these big sedans!? Theres nothing else like what you posted above, 7 series, S8, S-class. Dare I say you will drive these type of vehicles for the rest of your life. I haven't for sure since starting out at the same age as you. Gone through 3 S55 and now my current s63.
I hope you get your hands on an S63 and track it and run crazy numbers. Good luck.
Thanks to all of you who contributed to this very useful thread. I am in a similar situation, a fortunate family expansion has caused me to need to replace my current 2008 911 Turbo convertible with a more family oriented car. When I bought the 9/11 a few years back, my plan was to make it a poor man’s GT2 convertible. It has an FVD tune, Milltrk exhaust, GT2 intercoolers, GT2 master:slave clutch conversion, GT2 clutch/flywheel, and Inwas planning to convert it to RWD but never got to that part. It’s still AWD and is truly a pleasure to drive. I never formally tested it but has a 6 speed manual so 0-60 is probably in the low three second range and quarter mile should be in the low 11s. So my plan in terms of replacement was to get a family car that could fit 3 car seats in the back and could get into the high 10 second quarter mile and 3 seconds flat 0 to 60 range. The S8 is a great choice considering that an APR flash and a set of their downpipes has been proven to get the car into the high 10 second range with nothing else. That is an amazing amount of potential for a pretty roomy car. But inevitably you start to look around in the same category and my short list grew to include the 2015-ish S8, S63, and BMW X5M. We have had both diesel and gasoline TwinTurbo X5s as our family car for the last 6 years and they are very versatile although don’t have the luxury of the sedans. Each has its pros and cons, and It’s refreshing to see honest respondents here pointing out that the S8 would be a better choice over the S63 in some circumstances. The S8 may be more athletic with easier tuning potential but I am amazed by the opulence exhibited in the S63. I think I’m starting to lean towards the S63 since who doesn’t like to be pampered?! My only concern, and this is certainly a first world problem, is that the S63 is going to spoil me for any other vehicle! I can easily see that becoming my daily driver, and I can satisfy my need for speed with a tune and some downpipes and call it a day!
You're screwed. 21 and loving these big sedans!? Theres nothing else like what you posted above, 7 series, S8, S-class. Dare I say you will drive these type of vehicles for the rest of your life. I haven't for sure since starting out at the same age as you. Gone through 3 S55 and now my current s63.
I hope you get your hands on an S63 and track it and run crazy numbers. Good luck.
Got my hands on an S63... 2015 S63 11k miles with an MSRP of 189k. Almost 50k in options... Spec is perfect I love it!
2020 S63 Coupe, 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha, 2018 McLaren 720S, 2022 Porsche 911 TurboS, 2022 Tesla Model X
Originally Posted by klaidi_g
Yes, I love it! I was going to get black or white but this is a very unique color.
Yes my MY15 is that color, and ordered it again for MY20! When I bought it was after a magno cashmere car and didn't find one, so had it wrapped satin pearl white. Wrap is coming off this week and excited to have the magnetite again. It's a perfect combo with the two tone porcelain/black interior (or the crystal/black interior on the coupe).
If you find the car is not fast enough you can always do an ECU tune (Eurocharged, Renntech, Weistec and others offer it) for some cheap extra HP. Can go crazy with upgraded turbos, downpipes, etc but that starts getting expensive and you'll never recoup your money, plus it will increase wear and tear on the rest of the drivetrain particularly MCT, so you may end up having to pay to reinforce that too.
The handling these is what it is, with air suspension and almost 5,000 lb curb weight is no sports car. The hydraulic suspension in the S65 is way better for handling, although cannot match the comfort of airmatic on good surfaces and is more prone to failure as well. And it is RWD so won't accelerate as fast from a stop on public roads, not to mention less grippy in bad weather.
Congrats again on the purchase and watch out for deer! That's crazy what happened to the S8... glad you walked away, says a lot about the safety of the Audi.
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