The Manhart CRE 700 Aims To Bring The Soul Back To The Mercedes-AMG C63
With 671bhp and 752lb ft of torque from its plug-in hybrid powertrain, not a single person on earth could accuse the Mercedes-AMG C63 S E-Performance of being slow. A lot of people, however â almost everyone, in fact â have accused it of losing its character in the switch from a V8 to a heavily turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder.
Now, German tuning outfit Manhart has gotten its hands on the new C63 in an attempt to address the latter point. And while it was at it, it threw a bit more power at the car anyway.
Called the CRE 700, Manhartâs take on the C63 sees it gain a new ECU, which ups the four-potâs power for a total combined system output of 715bhp and 826lb ft. This will undoubtedly knock a tenth of a second or so off the standard carâs 3.4-second 0-62mph time, although Manhart hasnât provided exact figures yet.
Manhart CRE 700 – side
Manhartâs efforts to give the emotionally underwhelming powertrain a little more soul come in the form of a set of sport downpipes for the exhaust system, which it says gives the engine a âsignificantly more powerful sound.â Itâll have to be very significant indeed to match the old carâs V8 rumble for aural enjoyment, but weâll wait and see.
The CRE 700 gets H&R lowering springs which drop the ride height by 20mm, and Manhart will throw the questionable red-accented decal set at it, but thankfully as an option. It also has slightly larger Michelin tyres than standard.
Manhart CRE 700 – rear
Other than that, itâs the same setup as the car that rolls out of Mercâs factory. Interestingly, Manhart is currently only offering this for markets outside of its home nation of Germany, as the ECU and downpipes donât meet the countryâs strict TĂV approval rules. It says itâll rectify this if it feels the demand is there.
If youâre not in Germany, then pricing hasnât yet been announced, but expect a solid few grand on top of the ÂŁ98,155 base price for a C63 saloon, or ÂŁ99,715 for an estate. Weâre still not convinced itâll be able to revive the old carâs magic, but fair play to Manhart for giving it a go.
