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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.

Almost mythical pony

The Shelby came to our shores in 2003. It went from the original New Zealand owner to an owner in Auckland. Malcolm just happened to be in the right place with the right amount of money in 2018 and a deal was done. Since then, plenty of people have tried to buy it off him. The odometer reads 92,300 miles. From the condition of the car that seems to be correct and only the first time around.
Malcolm’s car is an automatic. It has the 1966 dashboard, the back seat, the rear quarter windows and the scoops funnelling air to the rear brakes.
He even has the original bill of sale from October 1965 in California.

Becoming fond of Fords part two – happy times with Escorts

In part one of this Ford-flavoured trip down memory lane I recalled a sad and instructive episode when I learned my shortcomings as a car tuner, something that tainted my appreciation of Mk2 Ford Escort vans in particular. Prior to that I had a couple of other Ford entanglements of slightly more redeeming merit. There were two Mk1 Escorts I had got my hands on: a 1972 1300 XL belonging to my father and a later, end-of-line, English-assembled 1974 1100, which my partner and I bought from Panmure Motors Ford in Auckland in 1980. Both those cars were the high water mark of my relationship with the Ford Motor Co. I liked the Mk1 Escorts. They were nice, nippy, small cars, particularly the 1300, which handled really well, and had a very precise gearbox for the time.
Images of Jim Richards in the Carney Racing Williment-built Twin Cam Escort and Paul Fahey in the Alan Mann–built Escort FVA often loomed in my imagination when I was driving these Mk1 Escorts — not that I was under any illusion of comparable driving skills, but they had to be having just as much fun as I was steering the basic versions of these projectiles.