Dictators, plutocrats, and masters of the universe pay attention; your new chariot awaits you. If you like getting to places in a hurry but want to do so in the cushiest way possible, then the Brabus Rocket 900 (yes, that’s actually its name) may just be your ideal car.
Of course for the rest of us a “standard” Mercedes-Maybach would do just fine. The Rocket 900 is based on an S600 which comes with a 5.5-litre twin-turbo V12. That produced an adequate 530bhp/390kW. However, there are obviously some people who think this isn’t enough as Brabus have thrown that engine away and stuck in their own 6.3-litre twin-turbo V12.
The result is a 2800kg limo pumping out 900bhp/662kW and 1500NM of torque. Oh, and the speedo reads 400 km/h. Top speed, however, is a more sensible 350 km/h.0-100 km/h is over and done with in an impressive 3.7 seconds, that’s roughly the same as the much smaller and lighter AMG GT S.
To put that into perspective, this has more bhp than anything currently made by Aston Martin, Lamborghini, and Pagani. 900bhp puts this right up there with the hypercar elites such as the Porsche 918, McLaren P1, and LaFerrari. Oh, and 1500NM is also the same amount of torque a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport produces.
Brabus have done a lot of work on the Mercedes-Maybach to achieve these incredible numbers. Along with bigger pistons, there’s also a bespoke billet crankshaft with longer strokes. There are larger turbos (naturally), a carbon fibre intake module, stainless steel exhaust with butterfly flaps, and gold lining for heat reduction.
Despite its large numbers, the Brabus Mercedes-Maybach is still Euro 6 compliant. Brabus also gives it a claimed fuel consumption of 11.9L/100km. Not that many with one of these would care too much about making the Earth’s resources last.
Visually, the Brabus Rocket 900 can be differentiated from lesser Mercedes-Maybachs by the trademark Brabus 21-inch wheels, Brabus aero body kit, rear diffuser, and it sits 25mm closer to the road.
Inside there’s more quilted leather than in Downton Abbey. That’s not an exaggeration. I like quilted leather as much as the next person, but what Brabus have done is something else. Maybe it’s the brown colour they chose for the photos that bugs me. Of course at this level of exclusivity you can have the interior any way you want. You could have purple leather from a Siberian cow if you wanted.
Brabus also offer an iBusiness package which includes a full onslaught of Apple products such as a Mac Mini, a pair of iPads with wireless keyboards, and a wireless mouse. This is literally a mobile device that’s quicker than most of NZ’s internet.
