Originally Posted by Sidez
it has been posted on this forum countless times and I had seen it a few times on the MBworld forum as well... that the cams are where the majority of the difference is created, but then again it very possibly is just the same output and understated for marketing purposes...
It was a rumor that was apparently started by Renntech. Maybe they were hoping to sell some of their aftermarket camshaft sets to the SRT-6 guys?
The SRT-6 uses the same exact cams as the C32 and SLK32. AMG doesn't even have more than one different cam profile for the 3.2L Kompressor. There's no way DCX would go through the trouble of having AMG develop a different set of cams built for the SRT-6 just so that it could be down on power. That would cost some serious coin. The SRT-6 was built using off the shelf AMG parts to keep costs down.
The SRT engineers have been repeatedly asked why the SRT-6 makes 19 less horsepower and they've always stuck by the same answer: that the engine calibration is not as aggressive due to tighter emissions standards. This is
consistent with what Eurorev posted a couple of years ago.
There are also some slight differences in the exhaust system and intake tract, but there is no evidence that they contribute to the 19 less horsepower that the SRT-6 is advertised with.