Back in 2013, we took a quick look at a Mercedes-Benz 190 E after seeing it in action at Gatebil Mantorp in Sweden. Being Gatebil (and Scandinavia), naturally it wasn’t your typical W201– this one had actually been established to go sideways.
The distinct Group Lovetap drift device got a great deal of attention any place its owner Mårten Stångber took the vehicle, so when it came time to step up to a more recent platform in late 2014, he understood precisely what badge it must wear front.
A rulebook modification for approved Swedish drift occasions was the primary driver for Mårten to retire the 190. Basically, his Mercedes’ rear suspension towers had actually been totally reconstructed, and a brand-new judgment didn’t allow the adjustments he had actually made. A brand-new chassis was required.
” After checking out the typical choices– Nissan S14, Toyota Soarer, and some other popular drift options– I came across Sarto Racing’s newly launched Mercedes CLK including a Rocket Bunny cooperation wide-body set, which opened my eyes for the W209 body,” states Mårten. “I did my research study and after discovering the CLK 63 AMG Black Series, I understood this would be the platform I wished to build on. It had a really comparable chassis to my 190 however a much better front end suspension, so I was positive about its prospective as a drift vehicle.”
At First, Mårten looked in your area for an appropriate W209 base, however when the best vehicle had not shown up after a number of months, he broadened his search overseas.
” I chose to search in England due to low prices and the truth that their cars and trucks didn’t have underseal, which would make chassis preparation simpler,” states Mårten. “I wound up discovering a totally stock 2003 Mercedes CLK 270 CDI on eBay and put a quote with simply 2 minutes left in the auction. This was my very first time ever bidding on eBay and I won.”
Once the sale had actually been verified, Mårten reserved a flight to England for himself and a buddy, where the CLK was gotten and driven back house to Sweden. It ran perfectly throughout the journey through France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany, and Mårten even waited an entire day prior to he started to remove it right down to a bare shell.
Although the 190 was a non-traditional drift vehicle, among the unexpected elements was its engine. In nearly un-Gatebil style, it had not been switched for a Toyota 2JZ, an American V8, or something from the Volvo parts bin– it was all Mercedes-Benz. Well, Mercedes-AMG … with the perk of an Eaton supercharger strapped to its side.
” After developing my 190 drift vehicle, I rapidly discovered how well-engineered Mercedes-Benz engines are,” states Mårten. “They appear to be neglected when it concerns the wandering and tuning scene, which is both great and bad. Due to the fact that while it may be less expensive and simpler to discover a Mercedes engine in the very first location, it’s difficult to discover quality parts for them, so you either need to produce them or custom-made order them yourself.”
On the other hand, Mårten fasts to applaud their out-of-the-box dependability, even with a great deal of horse power in play. ” The engine that we presently run in the CLK [M104 3.2L inline six] is still on stock pistons, crank, cylinder head, valves, springs. Internally, the only upgrades we have actually made are created rods, various bearings, an assistance girdle, ARP head bolts, and a head gasket to be able to produce over 800hp at the wheels.”
Supplementary adjustments consist of a BorgWarner EFR 9180 turbocharger, Nuke Performance/Pyrotect fuel cell, double DeatschWerks fuel pumps, Bosch Motorsport 2,200 cc injectors, an Emtron KV8 engine management system, and a custom-made Automobile Verdi dry sump system. This all amounts to a dyno shown 846whp and 975wNm.
Getting the power to the ground is a 200mm Sachs Motorsport clutch and Tenaci Motorsport flywheel, 4-speed Tex Racing T101A pet dog box, and a BMW E34 differential with custom-made axles. The suspension on the other hand is constructed around KW Competitors coilovers (2-way front and 3-way back).
A great deal of time entered into getting the NASCAR-spec transmission to deal with the M104 engine, and also the guiding tossed up some huge difficulties. A custom-made service was needed, which led to a one-off set with 55-degrees of guiding angle.
In the wheel and tire department, Mårten chose Cosmis Racing XT-206Rs in 18 × 9.5-inch +10 (front) and 18 × 11-inch +8 (back) sizing with 225/40R18 and 265/35R18 rubber respectively. Through the front spokes you can see the Mercedes-Benz S600 6-piston calipers and 345mm discs, while the rear functions S500 2-piston calipers with 298mm discs.
Among the coolest elements of this vehicle is the custom-made wide-body set, as created by SeidoWorks in Sweden. This weds up with custom-made FRP hood, fenders, doors, trunk cover, and quarter panels, and is rounded off with a livery by Lituta Motorsport Graphics.
Inside, it’s all company with a custom-made 6-point roll cage and Sparco Evo 2 seats running TAKATA Racing 6-point harness belts, plus all the other motorsport upgrades you anticipate to discover in a pro-spec drift device.
While Mårten did a great deal of the work creating and developing this CLK drift weapon himself, he fasts to provide credit where it’s due. ” The vehicle would never ever have actually been finished if I had actually done whatever myself. The staff member and my partners have actually played an essential function in making this vehicle a truth. The group have actually worked their asses off all these years and kept me inspired throughout the whole procedure; my partners have actually supported the construct with parts and important understanding. We came across many issues along the method, however in some way we handled to get through everything together, and for that I’ll be permanently grateful.”
While the vehicle was very first shaken down in April 2016, it’s constantly progressing and there’s still more do. Mårten wishes to upgrade the initial hand-formed bodykit molds to provide the wide-body the surface it is worthy of, update the circuitry with a brand-new motorsport-spec harness, and enhance drift-ability with a wider power-band and 8,500 rpm rev limitation. He’s likewise wanting to include a rear sway bar, set himself up with a lot of diff ratios to match various tracks, and fit some custom-made billet rear knuckles.
And After That there’s his other construct …
” I have actually just recently begun a job that’s been prepared for several years. It’s a 1981 Toyota Corolla wagon that’s getting S13 rear suspension, S13 front suspension, broadened steel fenders and a Honda K24 engine swap. It’ll be kept N/A to preserve that genuine mechanical feel that an automobile like this is worthy of.”
I believe it’s safe to state that if the Corolla is half as cool as his 850hp CLK, this definitely will not be the last time you see Mårten Stångber’s name on Speedhunters.
Brad Lord
Instagram: speedhunters_brad
brad@speedhunters.com
Images by Alen Haseta
Instagram: hazetaa
Mårten Thanks: ” My buddies and staff member Sebastian Simonsson, Stefan Engström, Jesper Jumisko, Joel Haglund, Edvin Olsson, John Lindell, Anders Franzen, Robin Carlsson, Christopher Reinholdsson, Andre Niklasson, Emil Persson, Simon Emanuelsson, Fabian Landelius, Markus Millved, Billy Shop, and my dear sweetheart Linda Nielsen. And a lot more individuals! I ‘d likewise like to thank Nuke Efficiency, Th Pettersson, Autogruppen, Cosmis Racing Wheels, BJP Race, Ecarlsson Steeldesign, KW Suspension, DeatschWerks, Depalma Workwear, Emtron, Tenaci Motorsport, Seidoworks, Svensk Turboservice, Digifi Media, Strömbergs Rör && amp; Svets, Pulverteknik, ATK Driftteknik, MSI Video Gaming Nordics, Tagene Hjulinställning, Situne.no, WTP Dekor, CarCareProducts.se and Gokartcentralen.”
