This Tuned Renntech S76R S-Class Mercedes Makes 615 HP From a 7.6-Liter V12
AMG tuning company Renntech might just have built the perfect W140.
The W140 Mercedes S-Class was always available with plenty of grunt, but AMG tuner Renntech has seen fit to give the mighty luxobarge a bonkers 615-horsepower V12 upgrade. The resulting beast is known as the 2022 Renntech S76R, which is based on a 1992 600 SEL.
The 1990s was when Mercedes really started to ramp up power outputs in its top-of-the-range luxury sedan. Even the six-cylinder models bested the V8s of the outgoing W126, and the top-of-the-range 6.0-liter V12 put out a healthy 402 hp. Back in the day, Renntech would bore and stroke those engines to 7.4 liters, tuning them up to a mighty 585 hp.
Technology has moved on, however, and now, 30 years later, Renntech is able to do so much more. The tuning house has further bored and stroked the engine out to 7.6 liters, making it the largest displacement M120 V12 ever. The engine was thusly rebuilt with lightweight pistons and titanium connecting rods, along with ported heads, performance camshafts, and other supporting mods.
The result is 605 hp and 715 lb-ft of torque, figures that are impressive on a new vehicle built today. Astonishingly, it's all under the command of an ancient 1996 Bosch ME-1 engine control unit running a custom Renntech performance tune. The engine is paired with an upgraded 722.6 five-speed automatic transmission to handle the added power, with an OS Giken limited-slip differential at the rear helping to put the power down.
Thankfully, big carbon ceramic brakes provide plenty of stopping power to keep the engine's performance in check. The car also gets wide, 19-inch wheels wrapped in sticky modern rubber for more grip, along with lowered springs for a more sporting stance.
Aesthetically, the car has been given the full AMG treatment, with ground effects all around and a Renntech lip spoiler on the trunk. Inside, the interior has bold, black-and-red diamond-stitch upholstery, with Renntech logos on the headrests to remind everyone what you're driving. The three-seat rear bench has been swapped out for the more snug two-seater option, giving the car four seats in total.
The S76R will deliver a zero-to-60 mph sprint in the low five-second range while retaining the vault-like feeling of being in a W140 S-Class. For those that want a classic luxury car without all the annoying modern bells and whistles, it's hard to imagine something better. Twelve cylinders, plenty of power, and a car with buttons instead of screens. Who could ask for more?
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