By: Dave Abrahams
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - “If lots is good, more is better and too much is just about right.”
We reckon that mantra must be engraved on the cerebral cortex of every petrolhead at Brabus for, no sooner had Mercedes-Benz announced its GLE 63S AMG flagship performance SUV than the Bottrop power junkies were under the bonnet to see how hard they could lean on its 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 and get away with it.
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Well, they got it up from the standard 430kW and 760Nm to 515kW and 960Nm without even taking the tappet covers off - but that wasn't enough.
So they bored the block out to a full six litres and bolted on two bigger-than-standard Brabus turbos for extra boost.
They replaced the standard exhaust system with custom-made stainless steel plumbing, starting with free-flow metal catalysts and drainpipe-sized 75mm downpipes and ending in a Brabus sports exhaust (note that neither we nor they use the term 'silencer') with actively controlled (from a button on the steering wheel) butterfly valve that gives you a choice between 'subtle' (“Honey, I'm home”) and sporty (“Brace yourself, Sheila!”).
Finally, they wrapped the intake and charge-air tubing in Brabus' signature gold heat-reflection sheathing and completely rewrote the ignition and fuel-injection mapping.
The result? The Brabus B63S - 850 kicks out a genuine 625kW and 1450Nm, which launches this 2.4 ton beetle-crusher from rest to 100km/h in 2.8 seconds and on to an electronically governed 320km/h flat out.
BUT POWER IS NOTHING WITHOUT CONTROL
So they dropped the ride height by 35mm with a special control module for the AirMatic air suspension and bolted on a set of 11J23 Monobloc Y Platinum Edition forged-alloy hoops, wrapped in semi-slick gumballs with profiles barely high enough to keep the rims off the road.
The outside is finished off with a carbon-fibre aero kit that includes an add-on front spoiler lip and special air deflectors with integrated LED side markers for the side air intakes in the front bumper.
A carbon diffuser neatly frames the ceramic-coated tailpipe tips, each sporting an embossed Brabus logo, as does the oversized tailgate spoiler.
The inside of the Dubai show car has been custom-trimmed in black leather, contrasted by quilted royal blue Mastik leather on the seats and the centre sections of the door panels.
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