At more than sixteen feet long and weighing nearly five-thousand pounds the W215 series Mercedes-Benz CL coupes were always going to have more in common with marine mammals than they were with sporty little two-seaters like the Chevy Corvette or Porsche Turbo. At least, that’s how it seemed before 2003, when Mercedes gave the big CL a 493 HP twin-turbocharged V12 engine that blasted the two-and-a-half ton land whale from 0-60 MPH in less than five seconds on the way to a sub-fourteen second ¼ mile time … which, you know, is fine.

What if you want more than “fine”, though? What if you want your big, comfortable Mercedes-Benz to run down anything on four wheels? What if you want to have your cake and eat it, too? What if, in other words, you want a car that’s less of a marine mammal, and more of a mythological sea monster?

Speedriven’s 1000 HP Ethanol-powered CL600

Release the Kraken

If that’s what you’re looking for, allow me to introduce you to this menacing leviathan of a car. Built by Speedriven in Palatine, IL, this ethanol-fueled 2003 Mercedes-Benz CL600 is packing more twice the horsepower it came from the factory with, and is ready to blast across the quarter mile line in under eleven seconds- making it more than a match for the very latest Corvette Z06 and Porsche 991 Turbo.

That Porsche, by the way, will set you back well over $150,000 in the real world. The Speedriven Mercedes? Not even close.

“You could go out and replicate this car, just like it is, for sixty, maybe seventy thousand dollars,” says Bobby, the car’s owner. “You can buy a clean V12 Mercedes for twenty or twenty-five thousand, figure another thirty-five for the work Speedriven did, and figure a little bit here and there to fix any maintenance issues to make the car ‘right’ and it’s done.”

You read that right. Despite carrying a $150,000 price tag of its own when it debuted, a well-kept example of a 2003-2006 model year Mercedes-Benz CL600 can be had for around $25K, today, and that six-figure depreciation can be a tough pill to swallow.

Speedriven’s 1000 HP Ethanol-powered CL600

“Some guys look at this car and they see it for what it is. It’s a big V12, it has almost all the features you’d find in a new Lexus or Cadillac, and it’s cheap enough now that guys can buy it as a toy,” says Bobby. “Then you have the guys like me that bought it when it was new, or nearly new, and made big payments on it for a lot of years. The car is worth more to me than what I can sell it for, so I’m gonna keep it, and maybe I’m gonna do some work to it to make it feel new to me, you know?”

Doing “some work” to this particular Mercedes CL600 meant sending the car to Speedriven- and that’s when SD’s experts in massaging more power and performance out of Mercedes’ V12 engines began transforming the CL into the monstrous, ethanol-fueled street beast you see here.

The first step was ditching the tiny turbos the V12 was fitted with from the factory. They were replaced with a set of upgraded turbos modified with Speedriven-specific wheels and housings. Those new turbos are fitted to 3″ stainless steel downpipes and freer-flowing turbo-back exhaust system, as well. Feeding the SD turbos are a pair of massive, anaconda-sized cold air intakes pushing air to a set of top-mounted water-to-air intercoolers. Those coolers work to keep intake temperatures low, maximizing the amount of oxygen reaching the cylinders and burning the ethanol fuel.

The Speedriven hardware and ethanol-friendly fuel system are managed by the factory Mercedes ECU running SD’s own in-house software. So equipped and with a tank full of fresh Ignite Racing high-performance ethanol, this Mercedes CL600 generates nearly 1000 horsepower at the crank – more than enough, in other words, to make the car feel like new again.

“These are the true supercars,” says Bobby, looking at the results of his Mercedes’ dyno run, above, which shows less of a torque curve and more of a torque mountain. “There’s nothing out there like this, right now, at any price.”

Speedriven’s 1000 HP Ethanol-powered CL600

Mercedes-Benz CL600 | These Are the True Supercars

For more information about Speedriven performance upgrades for 2003-2015 600 series V12 Mercedes-Benz and converting your Mercedes to ethanol, contact the shop at their primary facility in Palatine, IL or visit their website at speedriven.com. For more information about Ignite high-performance ethanol, contact Ignite Racing Fuels in Marion, Indiana, or through their website at igniteracingfuel.com. Visit afdc.energy.gov to find out about the US Department of Energy’s findings on ethanol’s life cycle energy and greenhouse gas emissions, and how it compares to other fuels.

The new BRABUS 800 Coupe based on the latest Mercedes-Benz CL 600 BRABUS, with 800 hp (788 bhp) / 588 kW, 1,420 Nm (1,047 ft-lb) and a 350-km/h (217-mph) top speed, celebrates the world debut of the world’s fastest and most powerful luxury coupe at the 2011 Dubai international motor show. In addition to its unique performance the coupe’s most impressive features are its exclusive sporty-elegant design and its high-class interior.

The 12-cylinder engine of the CL 600 is reengineered thoroughly in the BRABUS engine-building shop that is equipped with state-of-the-art machine tools. Displacement is increased from 5.5 to 6.3 liters (336 to 384 cu. in.) with the help of a special BRABUS crankshaft with longer stroke, larger cylinder bore and correspondingly larger forged pistons. Further performance-enhancing modifications to the engine itself are the fine-machining of the two cylinder heads for optimized mixture flow and the installation of four special camshafts.

The engine peripherals are modified extensively as well: the standard twin-turbo system is replaced with a high-end turbocharging system designed by the BRABUS engine specialists. The new system features two custom exhaust manifolds with integrated turbine housings and high-performance turbochargers as well as four water-to-air intercoolers. The combustion air is supplied by a carbon-fiber ram-air intake integrated into the hood. In addition there is a stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system with free-flow metal catalysts.

Precision-programmed mapping for injection and ignition coordinate the optimal interaction of the high-performance components in order to achieve not only maximum power yield but also to meet strict current EURO V emission limits. The high-tech lubricants for the entire powertrain are supplied by technology partner ARAL.

As a result of the extensive modifications the BRABUS 800 V12 Biturbo engine delivers unparalleled performance figures: the engine produces its maximum rated power output of 800 hp (788 bhp) / 588 kW at a low 5,500 rpm. Even more colossal is the peak torque of 1,420 Nm (1,047 ft-lb) available from 2,100 rpm. In the car peak torque is limited electronically to 1,100 Nm (811 ft-lb).

Power is transferred to the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission that has been reinforced to handle the enormous power, and the BRABUS high-performance limited-slip differential with a locking rate of 40 percent. Naturally the BRABUS 800 Coupe retains all modern vehicle stability systems that can be deactivated at the push of a button.

This engine under the hood makes the BRABUS 800 Coupe the world’s most powerful and fastest four-seat luxury coupe. From rest the exclusive two-door car sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.9 seconds and reaches 200 km/h (124 mph) after a mere 10.3 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 350 km/h (217 mph).

These extremely fast speeds place especially high demands on the aerodynamic-enhancement components that were developed in the wind tunnel. The sophisticated shape of the BRABUS front spoiler that attaches to the production fascia reduces lift on the front axle for further improved directional stability at high speed.

To achieve a precise aerodynamic balance BRABUS equips the CL with an understated rear spoiler on the trunk lid and a rear fascia insert. The insert replaces its production counterpart in the bumper and features a central reflector as well as one custom-tailored cutout on either side to provide the perfect backdrop for the four tailpipes of the BRABUS sport exhaust system.

Exciting design, top-notch quality and further improved driving dynamics are the outstanding characteristics of the BRABUS Monoblock wheels, which are available for the Mercedes CL-Class with diameters ranging from 18 to 22 inches. To make safe use of the car’s impressive performance requires BRABUS Monoblock 21-inch wheels, available as Monoblock VI, E or F designs. BRABUS technology partners Continental, Pirelli and YOKOHAMA supply tried and tested high-performance tires in size 265/30 ZR 21 in front and size 295/25 ZR 21 on the rear axle.

The BRABUS ride-height lowering module for the standard ABC suspension is specifically calibrated to these ultra-low-profile tires, and lowers the body of the two-door car by some 25 millimeters (1 inch).

To keep the stunning performance safely in check at all times the BRABUS 800 Coupe comes equipped with version IV of the BRABUS high-performance brake system. The front axle is fitted with six-piston aluminum fixed calipers and vented and cross-drilled discs measuring 405 x 34 millimeters (16 x 1.3 in.). Together with discs measuring 380 x 34 millimeters (15.0 x 1.34 in.) and 4-piston fixed aluminum calipers on the rear axle the system delivers outstanding stopping power and endurance.

The interior received a high-class upgrade to match the car’s diamond-white metallic paint finish. The BRABUS upholsterers masterfully crafted an interior from a combination of white leather and black Alcantara, each with contrasting seams and diamond-pattern topstitching. Carbon-fiber elements in the cockpit add a markedly sporty touch. Their matte surfaces in “checkered flag” design make them textbook eye-catchers.

An ergonomically shaped sport steering wheel is also part of the extraordinary BRABUS interior refinement as are scuff plates with backlit BRABUS logo, and aluminum pedals, foot rest and shifter.

The BRABUS 800 Coupe is available as a complete vehicle or can be built based on any current Mercedes CL 600 model.