The Mercedes-Benz R-Class minivan (W251) may be cool, but in the limited AMG Edition, it is every large family father’s dream. Only 322 units came out in 2006-2007, packing 510 hp (380 kW) sourced from a V8 and hitting 100 km/h (62 mph) in five seconds flat, a record for its weight and vehicle class. No wonder the entire batch sold out quickly, despite the formidable near-€100,000 price tag.
But you can never please everyone, and so an R-Class owner came to Weistec Engineering a while ago, asking for a power upgrade. The tuner applied its own Stage 2 kit to the engine along with numerous other minor enhancements, such as better cylinder heads, pistons, and connecting rods. The team also changed the intercooler and the entire exhaust system starting from the downpipe. In the end, they reinforced the automatic transmission to better cope with the load and re-programmed the ECU.
As a result, the family hauler now drives the wheels with the power of more than 700 horses (522+ kilowatts). The man never bothered to measure sprint times, but, judging by six-piston Brembo brake calipers on both axles, the ride is far, far from stock acceleration values.