- Joined
- Dec 28, 2007
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- 8,232
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- Volvo XC90 T8 Polestar c500bhp
I thought I'd share some thoughts and experiences of my Brabus D6 III (for a 320 CDI) based upon a bit of real world owner analysis.
When I bought my car in Jan 2011 it came with the Brabus chip already fitted.
My previous S211 was an IL6 with 204bhp, so the new car with a claimed 272bhp was obviously quicker, but I'd never driven the new car without the chip to compare over a standard V6
During a group remap session late last year my car was put on the dyno (just for a look see) and showed 252bhp at the wheels, quite a bit less than the 272bhp claimed by Brabus.
I wasn't overly worried about the lower figure because I know from my time in automotive powertrain engineering that dynos can vary considerably from place to place. Also there were other doubts about the way that particular dyno was being run, with some ambiguity about the interpretation of the results on other members cars, that I won't bore you with here.
However, armed with the dyno graph I approached Brabus in Germany and Markus (the technical front desk contact - a very helpful man) immediately offered to have the chip/harness back to check it was functioning properly.
He also confirmed that the chip on mine was for a W219 (a warranty replacement) and while it appears to be the same engine and gearbox, he felt that it should be reprogrammed to the latest W211 software.
Mercedes Benz removed the chip/harness free of charge and sent it back to Brabus, early December.
Now, this meant I was driving a standard car and this is where it gets interesting.
The car was definitely slower - it seemed to have lost some of it's mid range shove, that part of the characteristic that makes diesels most enjoyable.
Brabus did their stuff and sent the chip/harness back to Mercedes Benz and today it was refitted, complete with the correct W211 software update.
So, the all important performance questions:
It's back to it's torque increased best now, though I can't say yet whether it's any quicker than the W219 software chip.
Does it feel like 48bhp more? - that's a tough one.
It is quicker than standard? - undoubtedly yes- and I've had the benefit of back to back testing now, which I'd not had before.
Others have described the power increase as like a helping hand, an extra shove in the mid range, and I'd agree with those analogies.
Would I have another one - well, as I begin the hunt for a S212 (which isn't for a while yet) I'll be looking for a D6S equipped beastie, so that's a yes then.
You'll note I've not referred to economy as I still believe you don't get more power with more economy, if only because your point and squirt right foot negates any possible(??) benefit.
I hope you find my "all Brabus, no bull" review informative.
When I bought my car in Jan 2011 it came with the Brabus chip already fitted.
My previous S211 was an IL6 with 204bhp, so the new car with a claimed 272bhp was obviously quicker, but I'd never driven the new car without the chip to compare over a standard V6
During a group remap session late last year my car was put on the dyno (just for a look see) and showed 252bhp at the wheels, quite a bit less than the 272bhp claimed by Brabus.
I wasn't overly worried about the lower figure because I know from my time in automotive powertrain engineering that dynos can vary considerably from place to place. Also there were other doubts about the way that particular dyno was being run, with some ambiguity about the interpretation of the results on other members cars, that I won't bore you with here.
However, armed with the dyno graph I approached Brabus in Germany and Markus (the technical front desk contact - a very helpful man) immediately offered to have the chip/harness back to check it was functioning properly.
He also confirmed that the chip on mine was for a W219 (a warranty replacement) and while it appears to be the same engine and gearbox, he felt that it should be reprogrammed to the latest W211 software.
Mercedes Benz removed the chip/harness free of charge and sent it back to Brabus, early December.
Now, this meant I was driving a standard car and this is where it gets interesting.
The car was definitely slower - it seemed to have lost some of it's mid range shove, that part of the characteristic that makes diesels most enjoyable.
Brabus did their stuff and sent the chip/harness back to Mercedes Benz and today it was refitted, complete with the correct W211 software update.
So, the all important performance questions:
It's back to it's torque increased best now, though I can't say yet whether it's any quicker than the W219 software chip.
Does it feel like 48bhp more? - that's a tough one.
It is quicker than standard? - undoubtedly yes- and I've had the benefit of back to back testing now, which I'd not had before.
Others have described the power increase as like a helping hand, an extra shove in the mid range, and I'd agree with those analogies.
Would I have another one - well, as I begin the hunt for a S212 (which isn't for a while yet) I'll be looking for a D6S equipped beastie, so that's a yes then.
You'll note I've not referred to economy as I still believe you don't get more power with more economy, if only because your point and squirt right foot negates any possible(??) benefit.
I hope you find my "all Brabus, no bull" review informative.