AMG is well known as the internally operated brand of Mercedes. However, before it was acquired by Mercedes-Benz in 1999, it operated as an independent tuning company just like Brabus.
Brabus is still independent, and it is said to be more than current AMG models. Recently, the brand’s independence has also given it the flexibility to specialize in modifying not only Mercedes-Benz models but also vehicles from other brands such as Porsche, Rolls-Royce and Smart.
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Bobo Buschmann
Company overview and brief history
Brabus was founded in 1977 by Bodo Buschmann and his college friend, Klaus Brackmann, with the company name being a combination of their surnames. Born in the small town of Bottrop near Essen, Western Germany, Buschmann is the son of a local Mercedes-Benz dealer who owns a Porsche 911.
As the story goes, Buschmann’s father was frustrated with his son regularly parking his Porsche next to different Mercedes models at the dealership, and instead told him to pick a Mercedes. more appropriate. While Buschmann complied by swapping his 911 for a W116 S-Class, he missed out on the performance and dynamics of his Porsche.
With Mercedes-Benz at the time a solid comfort-oriented brand, he began making significant modifications to improve the performance of his new car. S-Class to the point of being comparable to Porsche. In turn, this caught the attention of potential customers at the dealership.
Several clients decided to entrust Buschmann with their own cars and were impressed with the results that gave him the confidence to start his own company. Generously, Buschmann’s father gave up half of the dealership’s plot to let his son set up a workshop behind the dealership.
Buschmann extended the range of Mercedes-Benz products he could modify beyond the S-Class, with even smaller models such as the 190E (the predecessor of the Mercedes-Benz model). C-Class) was treated with Brabus.
In Brabus guise, the 190E has been upgraded with everything from the monstrous 5.0-liter V8 straight from the S-Class, to the boring 3.6-liter in the Brabus 190E 3.6S that can accelerate the car from 0-100 km /h in just 6.3 seconds.
As much as Hertz specially ordered Mustang As for its fleet, German car rental company Sixt was so impressed with the performance of the Brabus ‘190E that it ordered 200 units in 1984. Brabus was on the way to expansion, moving into the facility. new and build a dedicated factory.
Today, Brabus is arguably the largest independent tuning company specializing in Mercedes-Benz vehicles and perhaps one of the largest. Claiming to operate in more than 100 countries, Brabus employs approximately 3000 people worldwide and has a production facility in Germany consisting of 5 factories.
While Brabus models often receive attention and attention for their amazing numbers and power performance, today the conversion of their standard Mercedes models extends to Customize interior elements. The brand claims that each vehicle produced can have an interior tailored to the buyer’s taste, including colored enameling for the various switches and trims, as well as upgraded leather and Other upholstery options.
Through its subsidiary Startech, Brabus also supplies modifications for many brands such as Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Bentley, Maserati and Tesla.
In addition, Brabus maintains a restoration service of classic ‘Six-Star’ models for older Mercedes-Benz models such as the classic 280SL ‘Pagoda’, 300SL Gullwing coupe and Roadster.
For VIP guests, the company also offers armored versions of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class 4×4, called ‘Invicto’, certified to the VR6 Plus ERV standard.
Famous Brabus models
Brabus occupies a rare position in the automotive world, and with the possibility that each vehicle will be heavily customized to the preferences of the buyer, perhaps all Brabus vehicles are special.
Perhaps one of the more famous models made by the tuner Bottrop is the original Brabus CLS V12 S Rocket sedan. First unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, Brabus implanted a 6.3-litre twin-turbo V12 that produced a whopping 537kW of power and 1320Nm of torque (electronically limited to 1100Nm to preserve the system). transmission) into the original. Mercedes-Benz CLS.
It has a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 4.0 seconds and, perhaps more impressively, top speed is electronically limited to 350 km/h, but has been tested to 362 km/h. on the road with the speed limiter removed.
This makes the Brabus Rocket the fastest car with four doors at launch. Interestingly, Brabus also created a police version of the show ‘Tune It Safe!’ From the German Federal Ministry of Transport. program, designed to promote safe and legal methods of regulation.
One model that Brabus loves to tinker with especially Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and the regulator has produced several variations of this model. Most recently, Brabus has developed the ‘900 Rocket Edition’, its most powerful G-Class modification yet.
With only 25 units produced, the 900 Rocket version uses a 4.5-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, now producing 662kW of power and 1250Nm of torque, to accelerate the car from 0-100km/h. in just 3.7 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of 280 km/h.
Mercedes itself was on a rampage when it unveiled the six-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6×6 in 2013, and Brabus took it a step further with the B63S-700 6×6.
Already owning the powerful 5.5-litre 400kW V8 in standard AMG form, Brabus managed to increase it to 515kW, reducing the 0-100 km/h sprint to just 7.4 seconds – impressive for with a car weighing nearly 4 tons. affect its impressive off-road capabilities.
In the eyes of many, the 300SL Gullwing remains the most beautiful Mercedes-Benz ever made, with its gorgeous doors and impressive side vents. In 2018, Brabus assigned its employees the task of changing the car that is said to be Mercedes’ most special car.
However, instead of replacing the engine or making ostentatious styling or design changes, the Brabus team set out to restore the car to a brand new condition, to demonstrate the company’s resilience. .
Restoring bare metal, Brabus renovates or replaces all electrical components and uses advanced technologies such as cataphoretic dipping primers to ensure rust protection.
