BRABUS ROCKET 900 “ONE OF TEN” – First Look
Henry Carpenter
For those of you familiar with BRABUS, you won’t be surprised to hear the German aftermarket tuning company have sunk their teeth into another of Mercedes’ prize assets.
This time, it’s the AMG GT 63 S Coupe that BRABUS – a company so unsubtle that even their name is in capital letters – have taken under their wing, and will be producing just 10 of the utterly outrageous ROCKET 900.
The BRABUS ROCKET 900 in numbers
- 2.8 seconds to 60 mph
- 9.3 seconds to 124mph
- 206 mph Top Speed (electronically limited)
- 888bhp
- Prices starting from £390,000 plus tax
Performance
The performance of the standard AMG GT 63 S Coupe 4-door is not something to be scoffed at. The car is basically a four-up supercar, and for all intents and purposes, there’s not much that really needed amending to the 631bhp coupe.
That doesn’t mean that BRABUS weren’t willing to give it a shot though. So they’ve taken everything that the GT 63 S Coupe had, and made it that little bit more outrageous. The 63 S’s already impressive twin-turbocharged V8 engine has now been upgraded, with the BRABUS team increasing the engine size from 4.0-litres to 4.5-litres, swapping the standard twin-turbochargers in the ‘basic’ model for larger ones.
They’ve combated any push-back from the huge upgrades to the engine by bringing in ‘a new carbon fibre air intake, an improved fuel system, a freer-flowing exhaust and a recalibrated ECU’.
Design
BRABUS are well known for their iconic body-kits, and the ROCKET 900 has received the workst.
The new wider body-kit that the BRABUS reps is not just for visuals. The wider body, along with 25mm lowered suspension allows for improved aerodynamic stability and improved cooling for the brakes and engine. They’ve also added a new carbon fibre-wing, assisting the aerodynamics further, along with a larger front splitter, and rear diffuser.
A new set of huge carbon-ceramic brake discs along with a larger set of tyres complete the ROCKET 900 exterior, with 21-inch wheels on the front and 22-inches at the back. To give the exclusive looks of these wheels an added sporty touch, the BRABUS ROCKET 900 “ONE OF TEN” is equipped with aero discs made from naked carbon.
The interior sports a new quilted leather upholstery along with BRABUS floor mats and tread-plates.
BRABUS have also confirmed they will be building right-hand-drive versions.
Technology
The ROCKET 900 hasn’t had its core technology touched – if you don’t count the 200 extra bhp and re-tune.
But, that’s not to say the technology on the standard AMG GT Coupe is something that will leave you disappointed. With two hi-res 12.3in screens making up a cinematic dashboard, the ROCKET 900t is packed full of the technology you expect to see in a top-of-the-line Mercedes.
The AMG performance steering wheel boasts enough features that should ensure owners never have to take their hands off the wheel. There are touchpads on the wheel itself, allowing you to control all aspects of the car, with Classic, Sports and Supersport configurations.
It may take a weekend of trial and error, but once you get to grips with it you won’t regret the time put into learning its state of the art system.
Verdict
BRABUS may be dividers of opinion, but while their brazen designs and over-the-top thinking push the envelope a little too far for some, others will revel in the BRABUS madness.
We’re sure there’ll be many fans of the BRABUS ROCKET 900. Unlike their take on the E-Class above, they’ve not strayed too far from the roots of the donor vehicle, allowing for a huge performance upgrade, with subtle upgrades to the aesthetics making the ROCKET eye-catching, but not totally ridiculous.
Prices start at £390,000 before tax, meaning you can expect one on the ten ROCKETS available to come in at around the half-million pound mark.
A tad expensive? Maybe. Exclusive, fast, individual and crazy? Yes.
We love it.
We’ve already had an enquiry for one, so if you fancy being just one of ten people to own one, we can help.
Normally we’d point you in the direction of our finance calculator for a quote, but in the case of the ROCKET 900, you’ll definitely need to give our concierge team a call! Alternatively, scroll down and leave your details for one of our team to get in touch.