11
NEWS
GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Brabus 800 Roadster
German tuner uses the Mercedes SL 65 AMG as the basis for a monstrous 588kW/1420Nm roadsterApart from Mercedes-Benz’s in-house AMG performance division, no company is better renowned for tweaking the three-pointed star’s products than Brabus, founded in 1977.
The firm’s latest handiwork is the Brabus 800 Roadster, a heavily worked-over version of the Mercedes SL 65 AMG that kicks out straight-line performance to all but match the brutal Lamborghini Aventador Roadster.
Propulsion comes from a Brabus T65 RS engine that uses the SL 65 AMG’s 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 as a basis, but ramps up outputs to 588kW at 5500rpm and a gargantuan 1420Nm that’s on tap from just 2100rpm.
However, in the interests of making the car controllable, the actual torque quota available to the driver is limited to 1100Nm.
What it all adds up to is a 0-100km/h split of 3.7 seconds for the two-tonne slingshot, while the 200km/h mark flashes past in 9.8 seconds. Top whack is quoted at 350km/h, matching the Aventador Roadster.
According to Brabus, the massive extra grunt was harnessed largely via custom manifolds that feature integrated turbine housings and high-performance turbochargers, along with four water-to-air intercoolers, housed in the space provided by the carbon-fibre bonnet scoop.
Another custom development for the 800 Roadster is a high-performance stainless-steel exhaust system with free-flow metal catalysts and ceramic-coated tailpipes.
There’s a butterfly valve in the exhaust that can be activated via a switch on the steering wheel, enabling the driver to select either “coming home” mode or a note that presumably approximates the sound of Mt Vesuvius erupting.
Drive is relayed to the rear wheels via the SPEEDSHIFT 7G-Tronic seven-speed auto that uses a wet start-up clutch in lieu of a torque converter for crisper getaways.
There’s little danger of the Brabus Roadster being mistaken for a standard SL 65, as it’s festooned with an aggressive bodykit that’s thankfully not as OTT as some of the creations we’ve seen in the past from the German tweaker.
Among the bodywork add-ons are a sharp-edged front spoiler, side skirts, rear diffuser and the aforementioned bonnet scoop for the intercoolers. Rounding off the upgrades are 20-inch Brabus ‘Platinum Edition’ forged wheels shod with 255/30 ZR 20 rubber at the front and 305/25 ZR 20 gumballs at the rear.
Helping keeping the prodigious grunt in check, the Brabus 800 Roadster is equipped with a special control module for the suspension that lowers ride height by 25mm.
Meanwhile, the Brabus limited-slip rear differential with a locking rate of 40 per cent is claimed to boost traction out of corners.
Inside, there are surprise-and-delight features such as scuff plates with a backlit Brabus logo and a speedometer with 360km/h dial. The customer also gets to choose from a wide range of carbon-fibre and wood trim sets in a variety of finishes and in “any colour imaginable”.
For our full coverage head to motoring.com.au for the latest Geneva motor show news
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Share this article
Written byGautam Sharma
See all articlesOur team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Subscribe todayDisclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Contact
Advertise with us
International marketplaces
Scan to download the carsales app
Want more info? Here’s our app landing page
App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo
are trademarks of Google LLC.