Yes, that is my car on p40 of the October '03 issue of Car & Driver!
It's my little moment of fame; let me enjoy it :)
This is actually the slow car in our family, but it still manages to get out of its own way thanks to a factory 5.5L twin-turbo V12 and a RENNtech ECU upgrade. It's my daily driver, and I'm often amused by how many other cars I surprise with its speed. Although not exactly stealth with its RENNtech 19" wheels and 15" front brakes, the S still doesn't scream "fast" when you first look at it... but it is:
Picture 5: The timeslip is from my most recent visit to Sacramento dragstrip. I also ran a host of 11.6s - the S is very consistent and very fast.
The nicest thing about the modifications I've done to the S -- brakes, wheels, tires, and ECU -- is that they leave the warranty intact and don't fundamentally change the nature of the car. When I'm not on the gas, it's still a big, heavy, comfortable luxury sedan. Then I hit the loud pedal, the turbos spool up to 18 psi, and it just GOES. Here's why:
525 RWHP (or 650 BHP) SAE corrected, pushing 4600 lbs of car, makes for a pretty fast ride once the tires get traction. It'll happily spin the rear 295/35-19 Pilot Sports up through 50 MPH, but with lighter touch on the throttle it hunkers down and catapults forward. When it comes time to stop, 8-piston brembos and 15" cross-drilled front rotors haul it back down from 120 (my usual trap speed) with ease. Luxury, power, reliability... I think I'll keep it :)
