Mendig airfield in Germany hosted a drag race between seven BRABUS tuned cars, each more mental than the last. The rules were simple: start with the least powerful, race head to head, and the winner moves on to face a tougher opponent.
First up were the Smart #3 and Smart #5, two electric brothers with a rebellious streak, or so we’d like to think. The #3, with 428 horsepower and 543 Nm of torque, weighed 1,910kg, a featherweight by BRABUS standards. The #5 had 646 horsepower and 710 Nm but weighed 2,378kg. The entry level BRABUS cars start at £46,000 and £55,000 respectively. Constantin chose the #3, leaving Mat with the #5 and its fiendishly complicated launch control – a system so finicky it seemed to require a PhD to operate.
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Constantin then switched to the BRABUS 850, a reimagined Mercedes-Maybach S650 that’s more castle than car. Its 6.2 litre twin-turbo V12 produces 850 horsepower and 1,400 Nm but at 2,486kg and £400,000 it was a heavy weight – literally, with a chauffeur in the back for good measure.
The BRABUS 1000 “All Gray” is a gigantic Mercedes-AMG S63 E-Performance with a 4.5-litre twin-turbo V8 and an electric motor producing 1,000 horsepower and 1,620 Nm of torque. It was a beast that demanded respect—2,845kg and £475,000. Mat was in fifth position, but the All Gray’s hybrid may just outperform the electric upstart. In a 10.2 second sprint, it outperformed the #5’s 10.4, demonstrating that raw strength can overcome agility.
Constantin then stepped into another BRABUS 1000, this time based on the Mercedes-AMG GT63 E-Performance. Same 1,000 horsepower and 1,620 Nm, but 2,265 kg lighter. £500,000 and a “Sky Blue” decor exuded classic wealth. It started with a 10.6-second quarter mile, slower than the All Gray’s 10.2 due to traction concerns.
The final showdown was the BRABUS Rocket GTS, a £900,000 masterpiece based on the Mercedes-AMG SL63 E-Performance. Reimagined as a shooting brake with blue carbon fibre that shone like a sapphire in the Mendig sun, it matched the 1000’s 1,000 horsepower and 1,620 Nm but reduced weight to 2,245kg. Mat took the GTS, Constantin the GT-based 1000.
