I’m sure the headline that brought you here seems more like it would be cruel joke, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. What seems even more outrageous, is that the 1,000-horsepower Mercedes->ke187 that we’re here to discuss is actually a 5,000 pound, 2003 Mercedes-Benz CL600.

In stock form, the CL600’->ke254s twin-turbocharged V-12 puts out a respectable 493 horsepower – enough to push the heavy CL600 to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds with the quarter-mile sprint taking just 13.5 seconds. In all reality, that really isn’t bad for a car that tips the scale at nearly 5,000 pounds, but the car’s owner – who we know only by the name Bobby – and the guys over at Speedriven decided the car could do a lot better.

Speedriven, which is based out of Palentine, Illinois, made extensive modifications to Bobby’s CL600 – modifications that make that big V-12 under the hood pump out nearly 1,000 horsepower at the crank. If that isn’t something to write home about, I don’t know what is. With 831.08 horsepower and 827.52 pound-feet of torque at the wheels, this 5,000-pound monster is now a worthy adversary for the likes of the Corvette Z06 and the Porsche 991 Turbo.

Naturally, doubling the power output from that Mercedes V-12 comes at a price, but it’s really not as bad as one might think. Aside from price, there’s no doubt that you’re wondering just what in the world Speedriven did to the CL600 to bring it up to supercar->ke177 status. We’ll, I reached out to Speedriven to find out just what took place behind that bay door. The truth is, it isn’t some fancy physics-killing warp drive or the sound-barrier breaking engine of a fighter Jet, it’s just some fine mechanic work from a company that clearly knows exactly what they are doing. Click past the jump to see the details on this crazy CL600, and just what it will set you back if you want one for yourself.

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The Nature of the Beast

Bobby’s CL600 has everything Speedriven’s 600 Series Biturbo V-12 upgrade has to offer. All told, there is a total of seven upgrade packages, all of which provide varied levels of performance and power gains. The first upgrade on that list is the Speedriven ECU Software upgrade. Speedriven’s custom ECU software pushes the V-12 up to 630 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque at a price of $2,000. Add $1,000 to that, and you’ll get the Billet package, which includes the ECU upgrade plus Billet blow-off valves, a Billet transmission pan, along with Billet badges and a vinyl decal kit.

The next package is the Best Value Package. It includes the ECU upgrade, plus Speedriven’s high-flow performance exhaust system with sport catalytic converters. Horsepower comes in at the same 630 offered with the ECU upgrade, but the exhaust system ups the torque to 715 pound-feet. The cost for the Best Value package will hit your wallet for $4,000. Next up is Speedriven’s Package 1. This packed will push your CL600 up to 690 horsepower and 820 pound-feet of torque. Upgrades include the ECU flash, Speedriven top-mounted intercoolers, Scorpion high-flow air intakes and four high-flow conical air filters. Total cost for this package sets you back $8,000.

Moving up to Package 2R gets you everything offered in Package 2, plus a Speedriven auxiliary heat exchanger and high-flow performance exhaust 2 (classified for off-road use only.) Horsepower remains at the 690, but torque jumps to 840 pound-feet. The cost of this package comes in at $11,000. If 690 horsepower and 840 pound-feet isn’t enough for you, move up to Package 3. This package includes all of the upgrades from the previous packages plug a fuel system upgrade and an upgrade to Billet turbochargers. The end result? 740 horsepower and 910 pound-feet of torque. This package computes to an invoice of $15,000, but total gains come in at 247 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque.

Still not enough for you? Well then, you can upgrade to Package 3R. This includes everything in the aforementioned packages, plus a few extras. Package 3R brings in a Speedriven-built transmission with valve body upgrades for better shifting and fluid pressure, the off-road high-flow exhaust 2, and a trunk-mounted IC expansion tank with a high-flow pump. The end result gives you 755 horsepower and 960 pound-feet of torque at a cost of $22,000.

Add all of that together with the E85 conversion kit and the CL600 hits a quarter mile in 10.576 seconds at 131 mph. If it sounds unbelievable, take a look at the YouTube video included with this article. It should also be noted that Bobby’s CL600 is running on Ignite E85 racing fuel.

Why it matters

If you’re not absolutely amazed by the work Speedriven did on Bobby’s CL600, I don’t know what to say. At the end of the day, the car pushes more than double what the car was offered with at the crank when new. The CL600 originally came at a cost of around $150,000 when new, but there are plenty of used examples of the 2003 to 2006 CL600 out there in the $25,000 range. Add on all of the upgrades from Speedriven, and you end up with a $65,000 supercar that will compete with some of the faster cars out there today – and you’ll be competing in style.

In a blog post on Speedriven’s website, the car’s owner Bobby said, “These are the true supercars.” He continued, “There’s nothing out there like this, right now, at any price.” I must say I agree completely with him. When was the last time you saw a 1,000 horsepower CL600? I never have, well not until I saw the video.

Speedriven offers these upgrades for the 1999 through 2013 Mercedes S600, 1999 through 2013 CL600, and the 2003 through 2012 SL600. So, if you’ve got one of these V-12 beauties and have a need for real power, give our friends over at Speedriven a holler. They can certainly hook you up. Jo Borras over at Speedriven also hooked us up with some pictures, track printouts, and we’ve linked the YouTube video, so go ahead and take a look. I’m sure you’ll be amazed.