News Source: topspeed.com

Those are just a few examples of the many kits Mansory has built. Back at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show,  it presented an equally dynamic program for the Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe,  called the Black Edition. As the name implies, the AMG S63 Coupe  was completely blacked out and decked with a ridiculous amount of aerodynamic improvements that put to shame the AMG S63 Coupe Diamond Edition, another kit for the high-powered S-Class  Mansory presented in May 2015.

Basically, the Black Edition was like an HGH-injected version of the Diamond Edition. In addition to rocking an otherworldly aero kit, it also had more wheel options and a more powerful engine modification that saw the car’s output break four digits in the horsepower scale. Think the offer of 887 horsepower in the Diamond Edition was over-the-top? You might start questioning your lot in life once you learn how much horses are under the hood of the AMG S63 Coupe Black Edition. This is Mansory at its best and this kit is living proof of that.

If there’s one flaw to Mansory’s tuning game, it’s the tuner’s knack for sometimes going overboard with its aerodynamic kits. That thinking is good from a performance and handling perspective, but it does sometimes lead to the car losing some of its aesthetic luster.

This particular program is a unique example of how Mansory can sometimes straddle that line. On the one hand, the carbon fiber body kit accomplishes a lot of things. The spoilers, wider fenders, hood vents, extended side skirts, and that enormous fixed rear wing all have parts to play in improving the AMG S63 Coupe’s performance and handling characteristics. They become especially more important once the engine modification is in place.

On the other hand, the aero kit also feels a little exaggerated, at least from an aesthetic point of view. That’s something that Mansory and a host of other tuners have had to navigate through anytime they build an aftermarket kit for a well-designed car like the AMG S63 Coupe. It’s a tricky situation to be in, but for the most part, tuners have been able to balance it out without tilting too much on one side of the build. This kit shows that, even if some still find it a little too ostentatious. I’m not one of those people, because personally, I love the way the AMG S63 Coupe turned out. True to Mansory’s reputation, the interior upgrades of the AMG S63 Coupe Black Edition is awash in a leather upholstery and carbon inserts on the seats that can be customized by the customer. Should there be any attempt to drown the cabin in leather and carbon, there’s an opportunity to do so provided the customer can afford it. A new steering wheel is also included, as are the illuminated door sills, bespoke floor mats, and a leather trunk house decor.

The engine modification builds on what Mansory previously did on the Diamond Edition program. In that kit, the Swiss tuner used a variety of new parts, including connecting rods, big end bearings, crankshaft, bearing bushings, a turbocharger, and a suction and compressor system to increase the output coming out of the AMG S63 Coupe’s 5.5-liter bit-turbo V-8 engine from 577 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque to as much as 887 horsepower and 960 pound-feet of torque.

Apparently, someone over at Mansory thought that 887 ponies wasn’t enough to make the most out of the AMG S63 Coupe. So the tuner went back to work to squeeze out an extra 98 horsepower and 74 pound-feet of torque, bringing the total output up to a staggering 985 horsepower and 1,034 pound-feet of torque.

The extra power helps the AMG S63 Coupe sprint from a standstill to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds, one-tenth-of-a-second quicker than the Diamond Edition. Unfortunately, all that increase in power doesn’t reflect in the top speed since the car still tops out at an electronically limited 186 mph. Pricing varies on what kind of modifications a customer wants. Just as important to remember though is that Mansory indicated back in September 2015 that it would only build six units of the AMG S63 Coupe Black Edition, including the one that was on full display at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

From afar, I’ve always admired how Mansory has never shied away from its identity as an aftermarket company, even though it has been labeled as being a tad bit overzealous in some occasions. While I can’t refute that, I do find something admirable with a tuner that sticks to its guns no matter what some people might say about it.

I suppose there will be some people who have seen the AMG S63 Coupe Black Edition and rolled their eyes at it. I get it. But it also doesn’t take away the fact that Mansory has built its reputation out of programs like this and it’s still doing quite well for itself to this day. The Swiss tuner doesn’t have the perfect formula by any means, but with programs like the AMG S63 Coupe Black Edition, you can’t deny that Mansory knows the kind of programs that creates buzz and discussion.

Like it or not, this AMG S63 stands as one of the most powerful aftermarket iterations of the car in the market. That counts for something.