House Of Power's Mercedes-Benz Supercharger Kit

House of Power recently unleashed its supercharger system for Mercedes-Benz' V6- and V8-powered C-Class (Type 202), CLK-Class (Types 208 and 209) and E-Class (Types 210 and 211). Its Stage 1 system is based on Vortech's V-2 SQ (super quiet) S-trim centrifugal supercharger, which reportedly is adiabatically efficient to 75%, capable of 20-psi boost pressures and efficient up to 680 bhp. No expense was spared to deliver this quality kit, which is clearly demonstrated by the 10,000-psi tensile strength ARP bolts, silicone hoses (available in black, red or blue), T-bolt clamps, genuine German clamps, stainless-steel oil lines with AN fittings, GReddy Type S bypass valve and the necessary vacuum lines and check valves. The internally thermal-barrier-coated and externally ceramic-coated, mandrel-bent T-304 piping, as well as the hard-anodized 7075 aluminum brackets, also come in any color of your choosing. HoP reports this supercharger kit is patent pending and will be available with CARB certification. That's right, Californians-street legal!

The HoP Stage 1 CLK 430 project car featured here is a perfect example of a wolf in sheep's clothing. Having rolled off the showroom floor with a mere 220 whp, this CLK still looks completely stock, but with more than 350 whp and over 330 lb-ft of torque available at just 5.5 psi boost, its performance is far from it. A jab of the throttle delivers exhilarating power that is compromise free, thanks to the quietness of the supercharger. If you're looking to retain the relatively quiet sound of the stock V8, but desire more pulling power, then HoP's basic Stage 1 kit is for you. For those who want to be audibly noticed, HoP offers the system with the optional Vortech V-2 N (N for noisy) for that added supercharger "whine."

With an MSRP of $8,299, HoP's Stage 1 kit offers near super-car performance at a relatively reasonable price. For an extra $640, HoP will install the kit at its facility in Huntington Beach, Calif. (It's about an 8-hour installation.) The install includes baseline and test dyno runs to make sure the car is performing as expected. "Basically, a customer can drop the car off in the morning and pick it up at the end of the day with a lot more dyno-proven horsepower," said Josh Rickards, president/founder of House of Power.

If you still think 350 whp isn't enough, HoP offers a Stage 2 system, which, along with the smaller 8-psi pulley, includes a custom Spearco-cored aftercooler with an air-to-water heat exchanger to offer the coldest air possible for safe, maximum performance. Cleverly put together, the heat exchanger's Bosch waterpump will be triggered only when the manifold pressure is above vacuum; the waterpump doesn't operate during traffic driving or while cruising. Water plumbing is secured with AN fittings. Although the Stage 2 setup boosts 7 psi due to the 1 psi pressure drop in the aftercooler-it's still good for a reported 400-plus whp-as already shown on HoP's project car when it tested the smaller pulley.

To make these cars even quicker, HoP is now working on a differential upgrade to capitalize on the power output, changing from a lengthy 2.79:1 to a much tighter 3.23:1 rear end ratio. We will be anxiously waiting to test this setup in one of its Stage 2 cars in the near future.