Carlsson's 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-class gets 780 horsepower

If the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG or the S65 AMG are too mild for your tastes, then German tuner Carlsson may have something for you. Ignoring for the moment the question of just how we already have entries from AMG, BRABUS, and Carlsson before deliveries of stock versions have even started in most of the world, Carlsson for the moment holds the top spot as far as claimed power figures are concerned. And those power figures depend on which engine choice you start out with.

If you have the Mercedes-Benz S500's 4.6-liter V8 underhood making 449 horsepower in stock form, Carlsson can bump it up to 610 horsepower and 663 lb-ft of torque. That's not bad, to put it mildly. But if you go for the twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 in your S63 AMG, Carlsson can play around with that as well and make it produce an eye-watering 780 horsepower and 774 lb-ft of torque. By comparison, the S63-based BRABUS B63S makes 730 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque.

Changes aren't confined to the engine bay, as Carlsson will also outfit your car with 19-inch or 21-inch wheels, in addition to unique bumpers and side sills. The interior of the car is really where you can go wild (but probably shouldn't, if you're planning to sell the car at some point) as Carlsson has a lot of experience retrimming Mercedes-Benz interiors with any choice of leather or other materials you desire. Aside from the interior trim, Carlsson will offer a REVOX sound system, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and HD TV screens throughout the cabin, in addition to a fridge or humidor, or anything else you'd like installed.

The German horsepower wars, it seems, are still in progress.

By Jay Ramey