News Source: topspeed.com

As sexy and as powerful as the Mercedes-AMG GT S  already is, there will always be a desire to make it better. That rationale has been around for a long time and it will continue to be that way for as long as there are people who want their cars to be stronger, faster, and more powerful. That’s also a big reason why the aftermarket scene in the auto industry continues to thrive. In the case of the AMG GT S,  the public can make a case that it should be faster and more powerful than what Mercedes-AMG  did to it.

That’s where Renntech comes into the picture. The German tuner has built a nice career developing performance kits for Mercedes  models so there’s a track record there that customers can look into. Not that it matters considering that Renntech is one of the best in the business and it proved it once again with its new R1 performance package for the AMG GT S.

By now, I’m guessing that everyone has an idea of what the kit comes with. It does say “performance package”, right? The program itself is pretty straightforward. It only includes an ECU tuning  kit and a couple of new additions to the setup. It’s not fancy at all, but it is very effective, especially for a car that needs at least 600 horsepower to compete against some of the big boys of its segment. Renntech addressed that and as a result, you have an AMG GT S that means serious business. The core of the program can be found under the hood so don’t expect to see any exterior upgrades on the car. The photos do show a few racing stripes, decals, and fancy wheels, but it’s unclear from the press release if these modifications are part of the program. Since the kit is called the “R1 Performance Package”, I’m going to err on the side of caution and say that customers who do avail of Renntech’s kit for the AMG GT S will have to inquire about getting these cosmetic upgrades. Chances are that they’ll come at an added cost so expect the receipt to be a little higher in that scenario. No interior upgrades were given to the cabin of the AMG GT S. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise since Renntech has never been known as a savant in this department. In some ways, it actually serves the AMG GT S better considering how well-appointed the sports car’s interior is in standard configuration. From the aviation-themed design to the generous helpings of leather, aluminum, and carbon fiber, there really was no need to give the interior any sort of upgrade.

The whole purpose of Renntech’s R1 package for the AMG GT S is to give the sports car a significant power and performance upgrade. In order to get to that number, the tuner installed a series of performance enhancing products, including an ECU tuning kit and high-flow sport air filters that improve the flow of air, thus increasing the performance efficiency of the AMG GT S across the entire RPM range. The result of these upgrades is a massive improvement on the output of the car’s 4.0-liter bi-turbo V-8 engine. From the standard 503-horsepower and 479-pound-feet-of-torque numbers, Renntech’s R1 package is able to tack on an extra 65 ponies and 110 pound-feet of torque, bringing the numbers up to an impressive 611 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque.

Complementing the more balanced engine setup is an updated exhaust system made up of Renntech’s own ceramic-coated stainless steel down tubes with high-flow, 200-cell sport catalytic converters. These tubes were put in place to help maximize the performance of the turbine while also improving the exhaust gas flow.

Renntech didn’t say how the improved power translates into the performance capabilities of the AMG GT S. But, if the standard GT-S can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 193 mph, these aftermarket modifications could push the run to 60 time to just a little over three seconds to go with a top speed that approaches 200 mph. The entire kit is pretty straightforward so it’s only normal for the price to be the same. So if anybody’s interested in purchasing Renntech’s R1 performance package, prepare to shell out $7,980 for the whole kit. That figure doesn’t come with any shipping costs so be wary of the possible added charges that could bring the total price of the kit to somewhere north of $8,000. This is the kind of program that no-frills owners of the Mercedes-AMG GT S will appreciate. It gets straight to the point without worrying about the cosmetic side of the AMG GT S. Let’s be real. The car is already beautiful in its own right so any modifications done to it would only give incremental improvements to its looks. There’s even a chance that the AMG GT S loses some its appeal because of it. I like that Renntech simply focused on giving the sports car more power and performance. That is, after all, what the AMG GT S is all about, right?