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First and foremost I want to apologize to all you Benz lovers for not being very active on this forum at helping keep the community alive. However, I just purchased a 2014 AWD CLS63 then took it immediately to Renntech to be moded and tuned. I spent countless hours trying to find the right car with the right amount of miles that was maintained well. In the beginning of my search, I was looking for a CLS63 S model until I found out the only difference was an increase to the lb's of boost delivered to the turbos. I knew Renntech was in my future so there was no need, and with further research, I discovered the S and Reg both make the same power once the ECU is moded and tuned. I also looked at the 2012 and 2013 but the AWD didn't come into play until 2014. Correct me if I'm wrong gents but the CLS63 2012 - 2013 DIDNOT come in 4mattic leaving RWD as your only choice right? I knew AWD was a must because usually, the guy that can stick the HP is the guy that can put the other guy in his rearview. I ended up settling on a 2014/CLS63/P1-pkg/21k miles/63 thousand bucks. I'll post pictures and videos of track times and new mods in route as I get the ball rolling. I need 700HP to put a few of my buddies in their proper places LOL!
I only have pictures of the CLS In its stock manner at the moment but I'll post them anyways. The schedule is crazy tight right now as I am in Dallas TX for a job. The Benz is in ATL which I'll pick up Friday and my home is about 90 miles from ATL. I'll definitely be coming to FL to give my cousin and his ZO6 a rude awakening. He is one of those guys that talks trash all day and twice on Sundays. His Bday was last week and I told him I was bringing him a gift. This guy really thinks I have something for him other than 700hp of pure pain and agony. When I pull up my facial expression is going to look like Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction "Does Marsal Wallace look like a bit$@ to you"? I was really hoping to post the CLS pics with a dyno sheet and video. But what good is a project if you don't have pics from ground zero. Stand by
It was 63,500 but I was trying to get another one from a guy in Delaware for 59k with 21700 miles on it. The deal didn't last long though and somebody swept it from up under me. My heart was crushed.... that's why I had to act fast on this one.
I'm not familiar with all the details of the CLS in reference to ground effect kits and such but I'm so glad to finally own one. The S model was just a bit out of my price range while I was searching. With the Renntech R1 upgrade it will level the playing field so all is well. Thank you for all the informative information and keep it coming because I'm lost in that department. I'll have more pictures coming after the Renntech is done.
you got a good deal, those rare models are a real bargain, especially if your planning to tune them afterwords.
I didn't know the car was that rare but I'm so glad to finally own the beast. My deal was pretty good but believe it or not there are a few 2012-2013 models with less than 20k miles and less than 50k. I was almost going to make the purchase but the I heard a voice that said "ALL WHEEL DRIVE"
IMO with cars making this much torque it doesn't make
sense to NOT have the awd. What's the point in this much power if you can't get it down to the ground efficiently on the street using street tires?!
its a total game changer, smart move to get the 2014.
IMO with cars making this much torque it doesn't make
sense to NOT have the awd. What's the point in this much power if you can't get it down to the ground efficiently on the street using street tires?!
its a total game changer, smart move to get the 2014.
Awd is very nice but a bit of a stretch to say it doesn't make sense to get rwd. Its not that big of an issue and can be remedied with wider tires but both have their pros and cons. Stock form though, awd is impressive. Gotta love the black color, make sure to take good care of the paint. The looks and performance never fails to put a smile on my face.
Man that is a beautiful car you guys have. Both of them are sick and I can only hope to reach those heights. I'm probably going to wrap my car but that's far far down the road. I guess what I need to focus on is some decent wheels and tires that have the width for double trouble lol.
Awd is very nice but a bit of a stretch to say it doesn't make sense to get rwd. Its not that big of an issue and can be remedied with wider tires but both have their pros and cons. Stock form though, awd is impressive. Gotta love the black color, make sure to take good care of the paint. The looks and performance never fails to put a smile on my face.
Don't mind the messy garage.
i guess since I tuned mine within the first week and it made over 200wtq more than stock that has something to do with it.
Yes on stock power level RWD is manageable, but he is planning to tune it in which case awd is a game changer for getting the power down without major wheel spin issues.
RWD is manageable but a lot more maintenance and replacement of tires needing to be done often vs an awd setup.
I'm doing the same exact thing you did with yours when you got it. I drive the car for the first time at 1230 when I pick it up Friday. My only drive time will be from the lot to the Renntech shop which is about a 30-45 minute drive. I really wanted to have some fun in it while I was home but patience is the key.
i guess since I tuned mine within the first week and it made over 200wtq more than stock that has something to do with it.
Yes on stock power level RWD is manageable, but he is planning to tune it in which case awd is a game changer for getting the power down without major wheel spin issues.
RWD is manageable but a lot more maintenance and replacement of tires needing to be done often vs an awd setup.
I can see where you are coming from and I see how to some it could be an issue, I have been tuned since I owned the car and its very manageable, I mean its like any high power rwd vehicle where if you want the perfect launch you have to manage the throttle. On a rolling race a rwd cls should pull on an awd cls with the the same mods/hp, less hp loss to the wheel. I'm not sure if you meant maintenance of tires but on the mechanical aspect, 4matic would be more maintenance as there is more moving parts that can potentially fail. Tires i guess would depend on your driving style, the car is not spin city unless that is what you want (a fun option to have). I considered awd when buying, but living in a warm climate and being cheaper/better value ultimately swayed me towards rwd. AWD is great and have nothing against it, just defending my rwd brethren Here is another pic of when I just finished installing a replica renntech diffuser.
In my experience the rwd from a roll will slightly pull the equivalent power awd, but keep in mind it needs to usually be from a higher speed rolling start. From a lower speed roll, the tuned RWD I have seen still spin up to about 40mph while the awd will just dead hook and walk it and not get caught.
The 4wd system they are using is not your typical power robbing awd you find in most cars. It's very light, adding only 150lbs to the car, and is rear biased 33/67 torque split without a center diffirential which further reduces the drivetrain losses.
The slight power loss (estimated at about 5% higher) and slight weight penalty will give the RWD cls a small advantage at higher speeds, but from slower speeds dig/rolls the AWD traction will win it over most of the time.
The better choice really boils down to what is more in line with your driving style. For the streets I would vote for AWD, but for higher speed driving such as more highway driving I would recommend RWD.
In my experience the rwd from a roll will slightly pull the equivalent power awd, but keep in mind it needs to usually be from a higher speed rolling start. From a lower speed roll, the tuned RWD I have seen still spin up to about 40mph while the awd will just dead hook and walk it and not get caught.
The 4wd system they are using is not your typical power robbing awd you find in most cars. It's very light, adding only 150lbs to the car, and is rear biased 33/67 torque split without a center diffirential which further reduces the drivetrain losses.
The slight power loss (estimated at about 5% higher) and slight weight penalty will give the RWD cls a small advantage at higher speeds, but from slower speeds dig/rolls the AWD traction will win it over most of the time.
The better choice really boils down to what is more in line with your driving style. For the streets I would vote for AWD, but for higher speed driving such as more highway driving I would recommend RWD.
Oh wow.... that was so informative.... I really appreciate the schooling. I have had very little experience with AWD other than WRX sTI, Lancer EVO and my buddy just bought a 2016 S5. I've been trying to do my research to the best of my capabilities and learn this car before driving it. I read in a review that the Panamera (which I was looking to buy prior) has a mean AWD system. It said the Panamera and the GTR have a more aggresive AWD system used to compensate for traction loss in corners. The review also talked about the stock tires being trash. Didn't bother me much because I plan on changing it all anyways.
06-04-2017, 03:42 PM
Here is another pic of when I just finished installing a replica renntech diffuser.
