Sounds like your camshaft timing solenoid may be bad.
If you pull the front plastic cover off the engine, you will see it, mounted on the driver side.
Not sure what a new one is worth, or if this is a troublesome item.
Could be just a bad connection?
Price it out.
I suspect, to most people the difference in performance would be hardly noticeable.

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2007 C 230 Sport.