--- title: "This Phenomenal Mercedes SEC Restomod Packs a 500-HP V8" date: "2026-11-11" modified: "2026-11-11" authors: - name: "Byron Hurd" job_title: "Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/byron-hurd.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-phenomenal-mercedes-sec-restomod-packs-a-500-hp-v8" categories: - "Builds" - "Culture" - "Mercedes-Benz News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "560 SEC" - "Coupe" - "luxury" - "Mercedes-Benz" --- # This Phenomenal Mercedes SEC Restomod Packs a 500-HP V8 ![Mechatronik M SEC]() Do you lust after the brutish [sport sedans]() and GTs of the 1980s? If so, Mechatronik may have just the [restomod]() for you. This is the M SEC, an overhauled and modernized take on the classic Mercedes widebody touring machine that blends a modern V8 and gearbox with the unmistakably 80s outline of the original SEC coupe. Each of the company's builds starts with a customer-supplied [Mercedes SEC]() that will be mated to a Mercedes-Benz M156 V8—the famed 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V8 that found its way under quite a few sport sedan and coupe hoods circa 2005-2015 or so. The M156's 500 horsepower is channeled through a seven-speed Mercedes automatic. Sorry, folks; no manual gearbox here. You also get a fully custom suspension developed by Mechatronik (with Oehlins hardware and Brembo brakes), a ground-up restoration, and a customizable interior. The price? Well, you have to ask, so you probably already know the answer... ![Mechatronik M SEC Build Breakdown]() "An M SEC is created with the ambition of meeting the demands of the decades to come," the company's web site says. "It is therefore not merely restored superficially, but rebuilt from the ground up. At the beginning, the base vehicle is disassembled down to the last screw in our workshop and every individual component is carefully assessed." What you see above, then, is essentially the first step in the production of an M SEC. From there, the body is stripped down to metal, which is treated with a cathodic dip coating to prevent corrosion. ![]() ![]() ![]() From there, it's on to the actual build. The SEC's basic silhouette stays the same, but many of the body panels (bumpers, wings, side skirts, cladding, and rear spoiler) are replaced with a custom carbon fiber kit. All of it is meant to save weight over the factory body work. From there, it's on to the final assembly. "All components and systems are comprehensively reconditioned, rebuilt and selectively upgraded with improved parts. One employee takes responsibility for each vehicle," Mechatronik says. Not a bad way to travel, eh? *Got a story tip? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com!* ## Author Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories. He brings a light, punchy style to all of his content, believing that there's plenty out there to be laughed at—himself included. Born and raised in Maryland but now based just a stone's throw from Detroit, Byron is an auto enthusiast and generalist who enjoys building and tinkering with things of all kinds, from cars, computers and digital cityscapes, to the new garage that will soon house his fleet (a CT4-V Blackwing, a JK Wrangler and an NA Miata). Inspired by an early love of rollercoasters, Byron quickly caught the high-performance driving itch. He's been tracking and auto-crossing his cars since 2007. In his downtime, Byron enjoys reading, playing city builders, and studying the history of the Motor City. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() ## More - [Man Hacks BMW i8’s Exhaust To Play Music Because It’s Really a Speaker]() - [This Twin-Turbo, LS-Swapped 1977 Porsche 911 is Peak Lunacy on Track]() - [Scare Your Kids With This Porsche 911 Turbo-Powered Volkswagen Transporter Van]() - [Madman Building a Travel Trailer for His First-Gen Acura NSX Out of Another NSX]() - [Mad Scientists Graft an ’80s Mercedes-Benz 190E Body to a Modern C63 AMG Chassis]() - [World’s Quickest Aston Martin Vantage Boasts 2,500 HP, 7-Second Quarter-Mile Time]() - [Brabus Now Builds 800-HP Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen Pickups for One-Percenters]() - [Is This Golden 900-HP Brabus-Tuned Mercedes S-Class Great, or Garbage?]()