POGEA Lorenzo CLS63S 4M -the last of its kind 24.11.2021: The whole escalation of electric vehicles has prompted Mercedes to discontinue some models very quickly. It was therefore no longer to be expected in 2021 that the last CLS with an internal combustion engine would ever be available as a Shooting Brake.

The whole escalation of electric vehicles has prompted Mercedes to discontinue some models very quickly. It was therefore no longer to be expected in 2021 that the last CLS with an internal combustion engine would ever be available as a Shooting Brake.



Therefore, the 218 series will probably remain the last CLS Shooting Brake model with an internal combustion engine to be built by Mercedes-Benz. And that’s exactly why the company founder Eduard Pogea of Pogea Racing GmbH in Friedrichshafen decided to take this factory AMG with a 5.5I V8 Biturbo as his own project. So to speak as the last unicorn.
 

Eduard’s cars have been painted in “Pogea Stealth gray” ever since the founding of the company in 1997. Absolutely all of his cars were painted with it by one of his best friends, Serkan Sahin from Ulm.



This is a mixture of his own, based on a metallic gray tone with Ceralix pigments in copper. So this color is also unique. The clear coat is always matt. Glasurit 923-55 is used for this. Compared to all other matt lacquers this is extremely matt, offers a solid noble surface and gets never greasy.
 


Only chrome, like AMG delivered this CLS 63S 4Matic, cannot necessarily be combined with this gray. Therefore, the Night Package was purchased later from Mercedes, and the components, which Mercedes does not offer, were also painted black glossy. In the next step, Marco Kasper from the company Faserschmiede from Germersheim was commissioned to carry out all refinements on standard components of the vehicle.


Pogea differentiates between glossy carbon fiber for the outside and matt carbon fiber for all components in the interior. Of course, only Glasurit lacquers were used here. The fiber forge refined the rear diffuser, the two side skirts, the mirror housings, the engine cover and almost all elements of the front mask with 4x4 285g carbon fiber twill with herring bones.



In the interior, the same thing happened with dashboard, moldings and parts of the door panels - only with a matt clear coat. On the CLS, the tailpipes are welded to the exhaust system. For this reason, they were cut off and enameled in black gloss - which is the safest way to coat the tailpipes. The work on the shell was thus completed for the time being.
 


To increase the engine performance of such a vehicle with such data may seem pointless to some people, however, it is always good to have enough reserves. The 5.5I V8 Biturbo with 4Matic all-wheel drive got a decent boost in performance. The factory 585 hp has been increased to 742 hp. For this purpose, Pogea Racing uses a modified exhaust gas turbocharger and a different cooling system.



Both the charge air as well as the complete cooling circuit of the M157 engine have been revised. The torque levels off at 1114 Nm. Thus GPS measured 329 km/h were possible. The owner did not try further to see whether the speedometer would have gone further or not. In any case, the pressure forward does not break off! The most important thing in this increase in performance is to have the general thermals of the engine under control.
 


Finally, these driving dynamics must be brought safely onto the road. In cooperation with KW-Automotive an individual connection for the front axle as a height adjustable suspension spring was created for this vehicle. The vehicle has an Airmatic system on the rear axle, which regulates the level also through the driving dynamics. Here the Pogea system was programmed to match the 25mm lowering on the front axle. Thus the appearance became perfect.



In connection with this chassis, the front axle and the rear axle were 3D scanned and then the drawings for the BLADE were created. The POGEAforged forged wheel was then equipped at the front with 9x20 and 255/30 20”, and at the rear with 10x20 and 285/25 20” Michelin PS 4S. BLADE is bidirectional and super-concave on the rear axle. The rims are drawn in such a way that a maximum concavity is ensured and at the same time no track plates or any accessories are required.
 


The next step was the car HiFi. Here Eduard entrusted his business partner Dietmar Carle from Fortissimo -also in Friedrichshafen with the work. It was important that the system be invisibly integrated into the interior. Nothing should be disruptive or deviate from the series, but the system should still sound high-end and get an incredibly powerful bass - which Carle also managed without any problems.




Now you have the feeling of sitting in a concert hall. The entire vehicle was dismantled inside, specially insulated with alubutyl and sheep’s wool insulation was also used. Kilometers of cable were laid and digital processors were used to set the running time and the frequencies. The system is fired with 2x 10W3v3 woofers, which are hidden in a box in the lower trunk lid.


All other components such as power amplifiers, processors, etc. were hidden away from sight under the cover of the trunk. The head unit is now an Android-driven 12.5” touchscreen, which enables a full-fledged tablet system but also further supports the NTG system of the vehicle. Now, in addition to YouTube, Netflix, streaming services, etc., are also possible, completely without restrictions.



 WiFi pulls the system via an OBD WiFi dongle with infinite 5 G traffic. This also controls the tachograph and GPS monitoring. The use of a dash cam for the front and rear was also important. Both cameras work synchronously and the snapshot button of the DDPai also enables instant individual shots at the push of a button.
 


Pogea built his vehicle here just as he envisioned it. For himself. With relatively conservative means a monster that is absolutely suitable for everyday use has been created here. In the Pogea design and with an incredible amount of power. It is possible to move the vehicle beyond 300 km/h and to feel safe and relaxed - Pogea’s setting also allows drives with 8.8I/100km - and that with a 5.5I V8 Biturbo.


The AMG can either be beaten from Stade to Friedrichshafen in accordance with the law in 6 hours, or you can cover the same distance with almost a single fuel tank - both of which have already been implemented in practice. Pogea has succeeded here with the AMG, which is affectionately referred to as “LORENZO”, a unicorn.



One of the last CLS Shooting Brakes, that rolled off the line, thus received a very extensive, effective, powerful, but also conservative refinement. Pogea Racing GmbH also offers everything that was shown here in its portfolio.




CAR HIFI

12.5“ ANDROID Touch Screen
STEG SG30 Midrange
Focal Elite ES165KX2
B&O Tweeter
2 x JL Audio 10W3v3
JL Audio XD800.8v2
JL Audio XD600.1
JL Audio FIX82
JL Audio TwK-D8
DDPai X2S Pro



RIMS AND CHASSIS

POGEAforged BLADE 20“
FA 9 x 20 with 255/30 20“
RA 10 x 20 with 285/25 20“
Michelin PS 4S
KW Automotive Coil springs with Pogea SetUp RA



ENGINE AND DRIVELINE

PR700 Gas Turbocharger
Stage 3 Transmissiontuning 7G Tronic
XXL Intercooler
XXL Coolent pump
BMC Plate filter cartridges
Stage 2 Power increase 742PS / 1114 Nm
GPS measured Top Speed 329km/h



Body

Painting in Pogea Stealth grey matt
All applications in 4x4 twill carbon fiber
Interior 4x4 twill carbon fiber matt
Tailpipes enamelled glossy black


Subject to change and errors



Ralph Niese - photos Pogea