S-Class

BRABUS Creates World’s First Tuned Car to Meet the EURO VI Emission Standard

Words John Clark | February 01, 2011
The Mercedes S 350 BlueTec with BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S Performance Kit for 313 hp / 230 kW and 690 Nm Peak Torque
Words John Clark February 01, 2011

The world’s first tuned car to meet the new EURO VI exhaust emission standard comes from BRABUS . Equipped with the BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S performance kit the new Mercedes S 350 BlueTEC delivers an additional 55 hp (54 bhp) / 40.5 kW of power and a peak torque of 690 Nm (509 lb-ft). This tuning kit also makes BRABUS the first tuner to meet the strict limits of the EURO VI emission standard that won’t go into effect until 2014. In emission testing required for certification the S 350 BlueTEC with BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S remained below the EURO VI limits by 30 percent. Special versions of the BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S performance kit are also available for all four body styles of the Mercedes E 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY model and for the new CLS 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY.

For more than three decades now engine tuning ‘made by BRABUS’ has stood for enormous performance combined with durability and suitability for daily use beyond reproach. Just as important for the engine specialists in the BRABUS engineering center in Bottrop has always been the perfect symbiosis of high performance and excellent eco-friendliness.

Already back in 1986 BRABUS presented the first tuned car that was equipped with a catalytic converter, the Mercedes 190 E with AB1 tuning kit. One year later the entire BRABUS engine range was converted to eco-friendly emission control by means of catalysts.

Sizeable investments into the development of high-performance metal catalysts culminated in 1999 in the presentation of the BRABUS 5.8 high-capacity engine based on the Mercedes 500.294 The V8 engine delivered 400 hp (394 bhp) / 294 kW and already undercut the Euro IV emission standard that didn’t go into effect until 2005. In emission testing required for homologation the engine bested the new standard’s permissible emissions by up to 56 percent. That qualified the Mercedes CL 500 equipped with this engine even in California as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV).

At the Frankfurt Motor Show IAA 2001 the BRABUS E V8 CDI, based on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class of the time, celebrated its world premiere. At that time this sedan was the only diesel car in the world equipped with a diesel particulate filter and De-NOx catalysts. It was the first diesel engine to successfully pass Euro IV emission tests that didn’t become law until four years later. Incidentally, the E V8 CDI was also the most powerful diesel car available anywhere in the world at the time.

The BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6 BLUE power kit for the Mercedes E 300 BLUETEC set another milestone on the path to increasingly cleaner high-performance automobiles in 2007. It made BRABUS the first tuner to meet strict EURO V exhaust emission limits, which go into effect in 2011. In emission tests BRABUS-tuned engines remained below permissible limits by up to 65 percent.

The Mercedes S 350 BlueTEC is one of the first diesel-powered cars on the market that meets the EURO VI emission standard. For a reputable tuner it also raises the bar to new unfamiliar heights. In contrast to almost all other tuners BRABUS has its own engine development department equipped with state-of-the-art test-bench technology and emission laboratory.

For the V6 turbodiesel engine with common-rail direct injection the engineers developed the BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S module for the electronic engine management system of the S 350 BlueTEC. The auxiliary control unit can also be installed in the 4MATIC four-wheel- drive model. It is designed as a plug-and-play device and is integrated into the CAN data bus of the luxury sedan. The BRABUS mapping was adapted specifically to the eco-friendly BlueTEC concept that uses AdBlue® SCR technology.

The BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S kit comes with a very special feature. The extent of the performance increase is dependent on the selected shift mode of the 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission. In ‘Eco’ mode the maximum power output of the engine remains unchanged but peak torque jumps from standard 620 Nm to 690 Nm (457 to 509 lb-ft), on tap between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm. Upon switching to ‘Manual’ or ‘Sport’ mode the increase in torque is accompanied by an increase in maximum power output from 258 hp (255 bhp) / 190 kW to 313 hp (308 bhp) / 230 kW at a low 3,600 rpm.

In this configuration the tuned S 350 sprints from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 6.5 seconds, half a second faster than the production car. Top speed is limited electronically to 250 km/h (155 mph).

The BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S performance kit is also available for all four body styles of the Mercedes E 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY and for the new CLS 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY model. The engine parameters are identical. Maximum power output for these models also jumps to 313 hp (308 bhp) / 230 kW at a low 3,600 rpm and peak torque grows to 690 Nm (509 lb-ft).

On the road the 2.987-ccm (182.3 cubic inches) V6 with BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S tuning and the standard seven-speed automatic gearbox delivers excellent performance. But that’s not all: The increase in torque results in further improved pulling power, which benefits fuel economy. Depending on driving style, fuel economy of all models can be further improved over their production counterparts.

Like all BRABUS components the BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S performance kit is backed by the BRABUS Tuning Warranty® of three years, up to 100,000 kilometers / 62,000 miles (see BRABUS warranty conditions, as of November 2006).

The perfect complement to the BRABUS ECO PowerXtra D6S performance kit for all model series is the custom-tailored BRABUS sport exhaust system with four polished tailpipes. The fully stainless-steel exhaust systems lend the common-rail engine a more powerful exhaust note and further optimize power yield.