By: Dave Arahams
Bottrop, Germany - Even before the model it's based on has made its world debut at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show, Brabus has made the new Mercedes G63 AMG sledgehammer SUV look like a shopping trolley.
This, then, is the Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo Widestar.
The 850 denotes a claimed output of 850 horsepower (625kW to you), from an AMG biturbo V8 that's been bored and stroked from 5461cc to 5912cc at the Bottrop skunk works.
It runs 99mm forged pistons and special billet con-rods on a precision-balanced billet crankshaft with a 96mm stroke, in place of the standard 90.6mm. The heads have been gas-flowed, the standard turbos replaced with bigger compressors on modified exhaust manifolds and the intake plumbing sheathed with Brabus' signature heat-reflecting gold foil to reduce the charge air temperature.
It breathes in through a clear-coated carbon-fibre bonnet scoop and a bigger-than-standard air-filter housing and out through all-stainless steel sports exhausts with actively controlled bypass flaps and dual side-pipes on either side, just ahead of the rear wheels.
The result is a quoted output of 625kW at a conservative 5400rpm, backed by a monumental 1450Nm, anywhere between 2500 and 4500rpm, driving all four wheels via the standard AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic transmission. That, says Brabus, will take this 2550kg beetle-crusher from 0-100 in four seconds flat and on to an electronically limited 260km/h.
KEEPING IT UNDER CONTROL
The Brabus 850 Widestar runs specially developed Bilstein dampers with two selectable settings. In Comfort mode it delivers a plush ride on any surface, while Sport mode tightens the settings for more accurate steering and enhanced stability on this admittedly tall vehicle.
In addition, if the Brabus' sensors detect that things are getting out of hand it automatically resets to Sport mode, and holds it there until you revert to a more moderate driving style; then it defaults quietly back to its Comfort zone.
The Widestar gets its name from 60mm wheel-arch flares on either side, making space for towering 23 inch Platinum Edition forged rims wearing 305/30 high-performance tyres from Continental, Pirelli or Yokohama.
Integrated with them are stylish running boards, illuminated by LEDs whenever you open a door or operate the remote locking transponder. A custom splitter fits straight on to the standard front bumper, custom black-tinted xenon lights with LED daytime running lights replace the original headlight clusters and a Brabus logo takes the place of the familiar three-pointed star on the grille.
ROUGHING IT IN STYLE
The show car has been trimmed throughout in soft, breathable Mastik leather with an alcantara synthetic-suede headliner, and the flight deck customised with stainless-steel sill plates featuring backlit Brabus logo, velour floor mats, aluminium pedals and aluminium door pins.
Between the two heated and ventilated individual, power-adjustable rear seats there's a custom-made multimedia console - trimmed in the same leather and wood inlay as the rest of the interior - with a power-retractable table for each rear passenger, a charging station for an iPhone 6, two USB ports, 12V power outlets and a refrigerated compartment for refreshments.
A special overhead console housing a 15.6 inch liquid-crystal screen is set into the headliner; a touchscreen in the centre console extends and retracts the screen, operates the built-in Blu-Ray player and the 4G modem, and controls on-board functions such as the dimmable ambient lighting and reading lamps.