Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Frankfurt Preview: In lieu of warp drive, Brabus drops 750 HP under SV12 R's hood


When Brabus one day announces that they've developed a G-Wagen that can simply teleport from place to place, we won't be the least bit surprised. After all, getting there faster is the company's mission, and the Mercedes-Benzes it works its black magic on are certainly capable of that. Take, for instance, the latest ride to emerge from the skunkworks in Bottrop: the S600-based SV12 R.

The Brabus SV12 R is a car for drivers who feel that the 612-horsepower S65 AMG is lacking underhood. Fret-not, deep-pocketed speed freaks: Brabus has your back. The SV12 R features a 6.3-liter twin-turbo V12 that shovels out 750 horses and a completely insane 995 lb-ft of torque. How do we know it's insane? Because the Brabus folks – who aren't exactly shrinking violets when it comes to the gonzo power numbers – electronically cap it at 811 lb-ft to protect the transmission. (Somewhere in Germany, there must be a shady character named Klaus with a flash tuner doing back-alley torque liberations.) Regardless, that much twist going to the rear wheels ought to put you on a first-name basis with your local tire retailer, as you're likely to be in there every 45 minutes or so for new rubber. Brabus says that zero to 60 takes just four seconds, and that the SV12 R's top speed is an electronically-limited 211 mph.

What else? The de rigeur aero kit is in play, as are a variety of wheel designs for maximum curb appeal. Inside, the car can be outfitted with "BRABUS Yachting precious-wood" accents and a fully-equipped backseat office, allowing you to finalize that corporate takeover PowerPoint deck while your retired DTM-racer chauffeur breaks every traffic law ever written in a bid to get you to your meeting on time. The car will make its debut later this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show.