Extracting more power from an already potent car is no easy task. Only a handful of companies have the resources to reverse engineer today’s complex engine management, and to properly reinforce the driveline accordingly. Our friends at AMS Performance have made a name for themselves by exponentially increasing the output of everything they can get ahold of.
AMG builds some of the world’s fastest cars, but what if you demand more from your Mercedes-Benz? The 5.5-liter (M157) V8 can be found under the hoods of late model CLS63 and E63 AMGs, and from the factory they produce 577 hp and 590 lb-ft. By unlocking the computer’s operating system, they are able to dispense with the luxury-minded parameters, replacing them with what can only be described as “beast mode.”
Thanks to thoughtful German engineers, the factory turbochargers are perfectly sized to the engine. Because of their efficiency, the computer rarely allows them to reach their full potential. That’s where the Alpha 7 package begins. Any exhaust downstream of the turbo restricts its abilities, but in order to build a civilized sedan AMG burdens the system with several mufflers and resonators.
This may be acceptable at the country club, but an engine note should be enjoyed to the fullest extent possible. Starting with new 3” downpipes, AMS Performance has fabricated a beautiful system out of mandrel bent stainless steel. Mufflers on a turbocharged car are mostly superfluous, as the turbos themselves eliminate most of the harsh sounds. This allows AMS to build a mostly open system that retains the catalytic converters for emissions control. The resulting soundtrack is nothing short of audible euphoria.
By awakening the turbos and removing their restrictions, the Alpha 7 package makes over 700 hp and 830 lb-ft of torque. That’s two and a half times the torque of the potent CLA 45 AMG. In terms of performance, you will need a tire sponsor.
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Launching the AWD Alpha 7 E63 at the drag strip returned multiple ten-second time slips. Check it out in the video above, added to YouTube by AMS Performance Aug. 20, 2014.
For a standing mile test, a worthy competitor was found in an MP4-12C. You can see this in the video below, added by AMS Performance to YouTube July 16, 2014.
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From a standstill, 60 mph arrives in 2.85 seconds, and since the speed limiter is removed in the new programming, the Alpha 7 will go as fast as you can tolerate. Optional for warmer climates is their new boost cooler. It includes a larger heat exchanger for the intercoolers to prevent heat soak from stealing your power.
For pricing of the kit or individual components, click the button below for their website, call AMS Performance at 847-709-0530, or email them at info@alphaperformance.com Be sure to check out their YouTube channel and Autofluence for more maniacal Mercedes models from AMS.
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