Mansory perfects Mercedes’ power and luxury

12 December, 2014

When 430kW (577hp) isn’t quite enough in a road car, you add more power. This is exactly what German tuning powerhouse, Mansory, has done. They didn’t just add a small increase in power however, they went the full monty in typical Mansory fashion

Tuning companies the world over have been modifying production models for as long as we can remember. Some go to much wilder extremes than others and Mansory is no stranger to this. Mercedes-AMG released the S63 and S65 to destroy the competition in their chosen class, which is of course, high-performance luxury. The S63 featured a 5500cc bi-turbo V8 engine able to produce 430kW (577hp) and 900Nm (664lb ft) of torque, propelling it to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds — also thanks to the clever all-wheel drive transmission. The S65, the big brother to the S63, featured an even larger engine, a bi-turbo V12, that produces 463kW (621hp) and 1000Nm of torque, which is nothing to laugh at.

Just when you thought AMG had crushed the competition with this kind of power and luxury, Mansory decided to one up them in both of the categories it excels in currently, as well as add a heap more power and added luxuries. The real news is the horsepower. Mansory has released two ‘M’ kits tailored to two different markets; the insane and the more insane. The M800 kit, the slowest of the two, produces 588kW (789hp) at 4750 rpm and 1200Nm (885lb-ft) of torque, which is available from 1700–3500 rpm — more than the S65 V12 twin-turbo produced. This added power and torque enables this 2000kg sedan to reach 100kph in 3.6 seconds — the exact same time as the 2007 Nissan Skyline GT-R R35.

Mansory also thought it would be a jolly idea to release the M1000 kit to the masses (or the select few who can afford one), which pumps out a whopping 735kW (986hp) and 1400Nm (1032lb-ft) of torque. It wasn’t just a case of bolting larger turbochargers to this model to get the power up that high. The Mansory-tuned V8 features new connecting rods, big end bearings, a stronger crank, larger turbochargers, and redesigned exhaust manifolds. The 0-100kph times are now down at 3.2 seconds, which rivals most super cars currently on the market. Top speed in both models is electronically limited to 300kph, which it will do with ease.

The exterior also received an overhaul and now sports a demonic aero kit, which includes a redesigned front bumper with daytime running LED lights, a rear diffuser, a new bonnet, new side skirts, and carbon-fibre components such as the rear spoiler, mirror caps, front lip, and rear apron. New wheels were also chosen to complete the look — massive 22-inch multispokes with Vredestein tyres.

The interior received a few changes including a newly designed steering wheel, aluminium pedals, leather floor mats, and illuminated door sill trims. Mansory did mention special items can be requested before the order is made, but the buy price is likely to increase.

NZ Classic Car magazine, March/April 2025 issue 398, on sale now

An HQ to die for
Mention the acronym HQ and most people in the northern hemisphere will assume this is an abbreviation for Head Quarters. However, for those born before the mid-’80s in Australia and New Zealand, the same two letters only mean one thing – HQ Holden!
Christchurch enthusiast Ed Beattie has a beautiful collection of Holden and Chevrolet cars. He loves the bowtie and its Aussie cousin and has a stable of beautiful, powerful cars. His collection includes everything from a modern GTSR W507 HSV through the decades to a 1960s Camaro muscle car and much in between.
In the last two Holden Nationals (run biennially in 2021 and 2023), Ed won trophies for the Best Monaro and Best Decade with his amazing 1972 Holden Monaro GTS 350 with manual transmission.
Ed is a perfectionist and loves his cars to reflect precisely how they were on ‘Day 1,’ meaning when the dealer released them to the first customer, including any extras the dealer may have added or changed.

You’re the one that I want – 1973 Datsun 240K GT

In the early 1970s, Clark Caldow was a young sales rep travelling the North Island and doing big miles annually. He loved driving. In 1975 the firm he worked for asked Clark what he wanted for his new car, and Clark chose a brand-new Datsun 240K GT. The two-door car arrived, and Clark was smitten, or in his own words, he was “pole vaulting.”
Clark drove it all over the country, racking up thousands of miles. “It had quite a bit of pep with its SOHC 128 hp (96kW) of power mated to a four-speed manual gearbox,” he says. Weighing in at 1240kg meant the power to weight ratio was good for the time and its length at almost 4.5 metres meant it had good street presence.
Clark has been a car enthusiast all his life, and decided around nine years ago to look for one of these coupes. By sheer luck he very quickly found a mint example refurbished by an aircraft engineer, but it was in Perth.