BRABUS ROCKET 900

SUPERCARS, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM!

Words by Richi Mackie

Probably I’m the only one here at the office, thinking that no hot-hatches, never mind how powerful and efficient it is, will never be able to cause serious headaches to a supercar. Don’t know if for a pure matter of image and prestige, or because in the long run or in terms of driving involvement, a mid-rear engined car or a grand tourer with a powerful V12 at the front, will always win over those little pepper that many of us love, right before becoming adult men that want something more for keeping with our image and that image we want to give. A kind of business card that says “I’ve done it,” pass me the term. So, Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini have been able to sleep quite peacefully, but now it is time to start to tremble, since there are mid-size coupes and sedans that are reaching numbers nothing short of astounding. If we add some other ingredient made of madness and a freight train of horses and Newton meters, then someone really has to fear for their throne, scepter, and maybe even the crown. Let’s calm down and try to understand the reason of my apparently contestable statement. The main cause is my meeting with the new Brabus Rocket 900 and the hours I spent to observe it, studying it and trying to understand its real meaning and above all trying not to lose a single one of the myriad of details and upgrades that the famous German tuner presented a few months ago. My constant comparison to the world of supercars is no coincidence, given that figures are the same as those you can find at the wheel of the last born Ferraris and Lambos.
Brabus has a weapon on his side, because although being part of that delicate category called “tuner” applies the winning recipe that distinguishes its products for years: a perfect joint-venture between extreme performance through an orgy of horses and an aesthetic aggressive look, yet never tacky. There are details that adorn these cars, for most of the time “all-black” (gloss or matte) and details that catapult ‘em in that Olympus made of limited editions, collector’s items and the like. Rocket is the appropriate name that Brabus uses for the most performance models of its range and is therefore already a foretaste of what we’re going to deal with today. Do you remember the CLS Rocket? Well, it has been the fastest sedan in the world and this Rocket 900 certainly does not intend to be a spectator. Based on the already stratospheric and exasperated (and exaggerated) S65 AMG, this is the last step of evolution, the highest step of the food chain; a perfect predator that knows no barriers or limits, since with such a power reserve, breaking the road’s code is easier than getting out of a parking spot. You guessed right, the horses of this V12 are 900 (887 at the wheel) and are grounded by the rear wheels only. A quite difficult task for the huge 295″ tires (at front we find 255″ wheels) and a lot of electronics that has to intervene almost constantly, to cut a torque limited to 1.200Nm. Yes, you read that right, even if limited and a threshold like that sounds ridiculous as the virginity of a porn star, that’s what it is about. The engine is bigger compared to the one fitted on the original S65, which passes from 6.0 to 6.3 and is equipped with two turbos, of course bigger too, as well as new pistons, new connecting rods and a new crankshaft, further reinforced to manage a power increased. All of this is mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission. No matter if you drive in “normal” or “sport”, as the Rocket 900, even more than its stepsisters S65 and S63, will have the constant urge to unleash its fury over anything that gets in front of it.
Proceeding with a more or less logical order, you can’t but notice a sharpened aesthetic thanks to a lot of carbon fiber profiles, new front and rear bumpers where there is a carbon fiber diffuser that houses the Formula 1 style rear fog lamp and the quad tailpipes, a real musical instrument. The new forged wheels come in 21″ and 22″ and in addition to saving a few pounds of weight, increase the murderous brutality that characterizes this Rocket 900. If it takes months to learn to play with all the technology of the new S-Class (also obviously in here), it would take many months to find all those touches that make this luxury sedan, a further leap forward in terms of exclusivity and ultimate tailoring. The cabin is a conglomeration of fine leathers, aluminum, carbon fiber and surfaces finished in gold (have you see the knobs of the central locking and all the buttons?); everything keeps the pragmatic order dictated by Mercedes, but is made more unique by combinations and colors that make you feel special, just like you have to be to have the occasion to drive a bomb like that. The infotainment, well, doesn’t need introductions as it could be the same the guys at NASA use for work, but what interests us most is the roar of the V12, which comes to life shaking the air around it, no matter if with valves open or closed, it becomes the reason to bring into intimate confidence your right foot with the accelerator pedal. The gearshift lever, located on the steering column, is located immediately behind the paddles that allow you to drive this angry beast in automatic-sequential mode, and if you saw the movie, seem taken by the armor of “Predator”: a futurism touch of an exceptional and striking car.
Test scale, this maxi Brabus does not come totally unprepared, because despite a weight of just over 2 tons, we must be aware that it brings an abundant car body, four comfortable seats (reclining and with any comfort, both for those in front, that for the rear occupants), a luxurious interior equipped with every gadget you want for your play room, an engine prepared and assembled by hand and a lot of electronics that will help you manage this curriculum vitae signed by Brabus, without forgetting the impressive braking system with carbon-ceramic discs. In short, performance are the same of those of a fast supercar, accelerating from 0 to 100 kph in just 3.7 seconds and easily reaches 350 per hour. You can imagine how its limits are only those dictated by the space it takes to drive as fast as this; we are talking about a sedan/limousine that has more power and torque of a Pagani Huayra (with whom it has something in common). But who cares, because when you grip the new three-spoke steering wheel, with your rich bottom on these fantastic sports seats, all that matters is only your blood pressure, to be kept under constant control, given that at each acceleration, calling into question 900 horses, you will have to hold tight as during takeoff. It is a four-door that want you to drive and not to sit in the passenger seat, a limousine which makes you feel the leader, having fun but in full comfort. Supercars I warn you, if you see this face in the mirror, perhaps it would be better to move. Maybe, once you leave the Autobahn, a charismatic two-door with the engine in the back will turn more heads, but deep down we all know that the stranger behind the wheel of this “sort of of S-Class under Nandrolon” costs twice as much, has plenty more comfort, luxury and a unique style, stated by a price tag of about 500,000 € and a more limited production than that of a classic supercar. I conclude then, once back at the hotel, with cold blood and mind, thinking back to my experience at the wheel of various sports cars: I’d choose a 458 Speciale anyway, for the simple reason that I find it more intimate, it provides more feedback and drives like a proper racing car, rather than a spaceship. Last thing: trust me that in this tank, you feel just as cool.

BRABUS ROCKET 900 (2015-)

Layout   – front-engined, rear wheel drive

Engine – V12 cylinder 6.3cc – twin-turbo

Transmission – 7-speed automatic gearbox

Power – 900 hp @ 5500 rpm

                     1200 Nm @ 4200 rpm

Weight – 2150 kg

Acceleration – 3,7 sec.

Top Speed – 350 kph

Price – from 540.000 €