GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Brabus fires off Rocket 900 Coupe
New model based on Mercedes S 65 is claimed to produce 662kW and 1500Nm for 350km/h v-maxBrabus, that famed tuner of Mercedes-Benz (and latterly JLR) products, has revealed where it thinks Benz got it wrong with the S 65 coupe.
Welcome the Rocket 900 Coupe – so named for its twin-turbo 6.3-litre V12 that produces 900hp.
The Rocket 900 name has already been slapped on the sides of an S 65 Mercedes, but that was a sedan rather than a coupe. What Brabus can offer with this new model is seating for four (like the sedan, only a lot less generous for legroom in the rear seat) and the handsome looks of the S-Class coupe taken to a whole new level. There are bits of carbon-fibre body kit adorning the Brabus Coupe, which rides 15mm lower than the standard car, on forged alloy wheels measuring 21 or 22 inches in diameter. And the view of the car likely to be most frequently observed (from the rear) is capped by ceramic-coated tail pipes – in a black satin finish – fixed to the stainless steel exhaust system.
If the Rocket 900 Coupe looks the biz, it also sounds the biz, thanks to the V12, which has been bored and stroked from the factory standard 6.0-litre displacement to 6.3 litres. Forged pistons are connected to a special billet crankshaft by 'precision-balanced' conrods. Production turbochargers are turfed in favour of Brabus units featuring larger compressors and turbines. To make the best of the new turbos, the engine's exhaust manifolds are also revised and downpipes have been widened to 80mm. A high-performance exhaust offers bi-modal sound activated from a button on the steering wheel, and a high-volume intake draws air from a duct in the bonnet and through the radiator grille into air-filter boxes of larger cross-section. Fuel is delivered by means of a specially-mapped injection system and the ignition system has been uprated too.
As a consequence the Rocket 900 Coupe generates 662kW and as much as 1500Nm to drive the rear wheels, courtesy of a seven-speed automatic transmission that has been tweaked for added durability and a limited-slip differential. Brabus claims the Rocket 900 Coupe will reach 350km/h and will polish off 0-100-km/h in 3.7 seconds.
In theory, the Rocket 900 Coupe should return 11.9L/100km in NEDC combined-cycle testing...
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.
