Nowack Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG

When I first drove the Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG at its launch last year, I quickly realized that it is one of those cars in which you can travel relatively discreetly but very rapidly indeed.

With 354 bhp and 332 lb-ft of torque from its supercharged 3.2-liter V6, coupled to a finely honed five-speed Speedshift automatic transmission, AMG has created a really sharp and responsive driving machine, which blasts to 62 mph in just 5.2 sec. on its way to a limited 155-mph top speed. For most people that's plenty fast, but speed is something you soon get used to. And then you want more.

"The standard car is very quick and well balanced as a package," explained Oliver Nowack. "We set out to improve performance as far as possible without compromising driveability or reliability. Our second goal was to uprate the chassis to match without destroying ride comfort.

"To get extra power with a supercharger, you have to raise the boost pressure," Oliver said. "You do that by making the unit spin faster, using a smaller pulley." To offset the extra heat being generated, the next step was to uprate the watercooled intercooler's circulation with a larger waterpump.

Internal engine modifications consisted of a pair of new camshafts and uprated valve springs. The engine dyno revealed that the C32 motor made more power without its air filter. The intake manifold was machined out to increase airflow, and a free-flow air-cleaner used.

Free-flow stainless-steel catalytic converter cores live inside the original cat housings, and the rear silencer was replaced with a bespoke stainless-steel unit. The remapped ECU has revised fuel and ignition maps to cope with the greater air- and fuel flow, and the top-speed limiter is edited out. The rev limiter is moved up 250 rpm to 6550 rpm so the engine has a bit more headroom in the gears.

The result was 404 bhp at 5800 rpm, an increase of 50 bhp, with a torque increase to around 380 lb-ft. The modified engine delivers its power and torque exactly like the stock AMG motor, only there is more of it. Throttle response is razor sharp, and the car accelerates so quickly under full throttle that the speedometer needle seems tied to the rev counter.

Against the stopwatch, the 0-to-60-mph time is only a smidgen faster, but on the move the car feels significantly quicker. Overtaking is accomplished with little effort, and the car eats up the autobahn effortlessly. I ran to over 170 mph several times with little apparent effort, so you really have to watch your speed where there are restrictions. Without the top-speed limiter, 187 mph is now a realistic proposition.

The standard C32 sounds quite good, but the freer breathing induction and exhaust of the Nowack car are more reminiscent of a well-tuned classic straight-six than a modern V6. So unless you are in a real hurry, you actually don't mind slowing momentarily for traffic, as it gives you the excuse to feel the thrust and hear the intoxicating exhaust note again and again.

The stock chassis is on the borderline with the extra power and torque. To get things back in proportion, Nowack fitted a set of uprated springs, which match the stock dampers and drop ride height by 25mm.

"We believe in evaluating changes one at a time, and so did our high-speed testing with the uprated suspension alone before swapping to larger 8.5J- and 9.5Jx18-in. O.Z. Racing alloys shod with 225/40ZR18 and 255/35ZR18 Yokohama AVS tires."

The combination of uprated suspension and stock wheel and tires retains a comfortable ride at town speeds with superb control on the autobahn. It is always a good sign if you don't notice anything untoward when you are going very quickly over bumps and round fast bends, and this was the case here.

On the larger wheels and tires, road imperfections were more apparent, and the steering was a tad heavier, but the ride remained comfortable albeit more sporting. Together with the lower ride height, the larger footwear certainly improved the aesthetics of the C32, filling out the arches and giving it a more purposeful look.

The C32 AMG is a cracking car out of the box, and the Nowack modifications are icing on an already rich cake. The beauty of this conversion is that you lose nothing in the way of tractability, gaining everything in performance and soundtrack. If I owned a C32, I would not hesitate for an instant.