Mercedes-Benz RENNtech E7.4RS: the fastest sedan of the 90s (9 photos)
In 1995, Mercedes-Benz released the second generation of the E-class sedan in the back of the W210. The car received a cardinal design update. Double oval headlights appeared on the front facade, which will become the hallmark of Mercedes cars for many years forward. 
In technical terms, the new E-class adhered to tradition. It was still a rear-wheel drive sedan with a monocoque body, excellent equipment and a rich range of engines, the most powerful of which gave out 220 hp However, even such a capacity of RENNtech specialists did not suit, and in 1996 they built an insane 620-horsepower Mercedes-Benz RENNtech. 
This story began in May 1996, when reviewers of the famous American magazine "Car and Driver" got a long test brand new Mercedes E320. It was equipped with a 6-cylinder V-engine volume of 3.2 liters with a capacity of 220 hp During the year of extensive testing journalists dashed off 65 thousand km. They obviously liked the car: they noted high reliability, excellent comfort and quite good dynamics - up to 60 mph E320 accelerated in 6.7 seconds and covered a quarter mile in 15.1 seconds. Excellent results for a 1530 premium sedan kg. Nevertheless, the main ideologist of the test and a big fan of sports cars Stephen Cole considered that the Mercedes-Benz E320 is capable of more.
At 60 mph, the RENNtech E7.4RS was half a second faster than the Ferrari 550 Maranello 
The editors bought a test Mercedes, and applied for technical advice to Hartmut Feichl, the head of the tuning studio RENNtech from Florida. The company founded in 1989 has rich experience for the completion of Mercedes cars and long-standing partnerships with the company AMG. The recipe for refining Mercedes at RENNtech has long been tested, back in In 1995, the company released the Mercedes-Benz SL600 equipped with a 7-liter V12 engine from Mercedes-Benz S600 (W140). In the case of the E320 from the canon they didn’t deviate and placed the same 12-cylinder engine under the hood from the 140th Mercedes.
The seats, front panel and even the hood hinges were wrapped in natural leather. 
In the process of adaptation, the engine was considerably modified. aluminum block cylinders bored out to 7.4 liters, forged pistons, titanium connecting rods and upgraded cylinder head with larger valves and racing camshafts. In addition, the intake manifold has undergone refinement, and the exhaust system was designed completely from scratch. As a result of all manipulations, engine power has grown to an impressive 620 hp, and torque reached 840 Nm. In a pair to the motor identified upgraded by installing an oil cooler 5-speed "automatic" from the S-class. From him came the rear axle.
Of course, the changes also affected the chassis. in suspension used Koni adjustable shock absorbers and short springs with increased wire diameter. To increase the angular rigidity and improved handling front and rear applied reinforced anti-roll bars. On the brakes RENNtech specialists did not save - 6-piston calipers were installed in front, rear 4-piston, all, as well as discs manufactured by Alcon - a well-known NASCAR supplier. This beauty was covered with stylish 18-inch wheels. OZ Racing with Pirelli P Zero tires. 
Especially for this project, Hartmut Feichl developed an aerodynamic body kit. In the best traditions of the German tuning school, he was as strict as possible and concise, and only emphasized the aesthetics of a sports sedan. AT the interior was also not without changes - seats were installed Recaro with improved lateral support, and the interior was changed to natural skin. 
The car received the complicated name Mercedes-Benz RENNtech E7.4RS and got off off the stocks in early 1997. The car came out truly impressive. According to Car and Driver measurements, it accelerated from 0 to 97 km / h in just 3.9 seconds and completed the 1/4 mile in 12.1 seconds on exit reaching 194 km / h. It was even more difficult to realize that this one was not very the outwardly remarkable sedan could accelerate to 320 km / h. far from every supercar could develop such a speed! At that time, RENNtech The E7.4RS was the fastest sedan in the world, and kept that status for over the course of five years.
It is clear that such an exclusive car could not cost cheap. Only spare parts andbot in RENNtech was estimated at 240 thousand dollars, add to that the cost of a base Mercedes-Benz E320 and get a completely insane final price tag of $290,000, or 530 thousand dollars in modern equivalent. Certainly not known built RENNtech E7.4RS in a single copy or there were a few, but the fact that this is the most impressive tuning project of the 1990s there is no doubt. 
