BRABUS
Encyclopedia
Brabus, founded 1977 in Bottrop
(Ruhr Area
), Germany
, is a high-performance aftermarket tuning
company which specializes in Mercedes-Benz
, Smart
and Maybach
vehicles.
Owned and founded by Prof. Bodo Buschmann in 1977, Brabus has since become the largest Mercedes tuner, other than Mercedes-AMG
which became a DaimlerChrysler
affiliate in the 1990s. Its competitors include Lorinser, Carlsson
, Kleemann
, and Renntech
.
. Customers can either buy cars straight from Brabus or send in their Mercedes to be customized and/or overhauled. If a customer orders a car from Brabus, Brabus buys the particular car from Mercedes and then modifies it in-house according to the customer's requests. Brabus is known for providing very expensive tuning and custom solutions, making an "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it" scenario.
Brabus offers cosmetic changes such as low profile spoilers, bodykits, carbon fiber
splitters, and multi-piece alloy wheels. More serious upgrades include racing LSDs
, open racing exhaust systems, twelve-piston disc brakes, and engine remapping. However, most customers pay for complete engine overhauls for which Brabus has become famous. The company typically orders crate engines from AMG
and completely redesigns them.
Brabus engines range from small 200 hp K4 blocks for SLK roadsters
and CLK-Class
to 730 hp twin-turbo
blocks for the CL-Class
, CLS-Class
, G-Class
and S-Class
. The company also provides improvements to the interior from custom upholstery, gauges, shiftknobs, pedals, and trim to various electronics such as wider LCD
screens for the Maybach
.
Bottrop
Bottrop is a city in west central Germany, on the Rhine-Herne Canal, in North Rhine-Westphalia. Located in the Ruhr industrial area, Bottrop adjoins Essen, Oberhausen, Gladbeck and Dorsten. The city had been a coal-mining and rail center and contains factories producing coal-tar derivatives,...
(Ruhr Area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
), Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, is a high-performance aftermarket tuning
Car tuning
Car tuning is both an industry and a hobby, in which an automobile is modified in order to improve its performance, handling and appearance. As most vehicles leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics...
company which specializes in Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, Smart
Smart (automobile)
Smart is an automotive branch of Daimler AG. Smart is a German manufacturer of microcars produced in Hambach, France, and Böblingen, Germany...
and Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
vehicles.
Owned and founded by Prof. Bodo Buschmann in 1977, Brabus has since become the largest Mercedes tuner, other than Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG, is a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz car company specializing in high-performance luxury cars....
which became a DaimlerChrysler
DaimlerChrysler
Daimler AG is a German car corporation. By unit sales, it is the thirteenth-largest car manufacturer and second-largest truck manufacturer in the world. In addition to automobiles, Daimler manufactures buses and provides financial services through its Daimler Financial Services arm...
affiliate in the 1990s. Its competitors include Lorinser, Carlsson
Carlsson (car company)
Carlsson is a German car tuning manufacturer specialising in Mercedes-Benz cars. The Carlsson tuning house was founded by brothers Rolf and Andreas Hartge in 1989. Carlsson's products are available for the entire current range of Mercedes-Benz models including the R-Class , SL-Class , C-Class and...
, Kleemann
Kleemann
Kleemann A/S is an after-market tuning company for Mercedes-Benz sports cars, sedans, and SUVs headquartered in Farum, Denmark.Kleemann's slogan is "Comfort Power," referring to its low-boost, high-output engines that create substantially more power than standard Mercedes models...
, and Renntech
RENNtech
Renntech is a Florida company established in 1989 by Hartmut Feyhl. It is best known for performance modifications of Mercedes-AMG automobiles....
.
Offer overview
Brabus's primary focus is to achieve maximum engine performance through the increase of both horsepower and torqueTorque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
. Customers can either buy cars straight from Brabus or send in their Mercedes to be customized and/or overhauled. If a customer orders a car from Brabus, Brabus buys the particular car from Mercedes and then modifies it in-house according to the customer's requests. Brabus is known for providing very expensive tuning and custom solutions, making an "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it" scenario.
Brabus offers cosmetic changes such as low profile spoilers, bodykits, carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
splitters, and multi-piece alloy wheels. More serious upgrades include racing LSDs
Limited slip differential
A limited slip differential is a type of differential gear arrangement that allows for some difference in angular velocity of the output shafts, but imposes a mechanical bound on the disparity...
, open racing exhaust systems, twelve-piston disc brakes, and engine remapping. However, most customers pay for complete engine overhauls for which Brabus has become famous. The company typically orders crate engines from AMG
Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG, is a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz car company specializing in high-performance luxury cars....
and completely redesigns them.
Brabus engines range from small 200 hp K4 blocks for SLK roadsters
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
The SLK is a compact roadster manufactured by Mercedes-Benz in three generations; R170 launched in 1996, the R171 in 2004 and R172 in 2011....
and CLK-Class
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
The Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class is a mid-size rear-wheel drive coupé/convertible . While it was based on the W202 and W203 platforms of the C-Class, its styling cues, engine, and price range are closer to that of the E-Class, with Mercedes-Benz slotting the CLK as a coupé version of the W210 and W211...
to 730 hp twin-turbo
Twin-turbo
Twin-turbo refers to a turbocharged engine, in which two turbochargers compress the intake charge. There are two commonly used twin turbo configurations: parallel twin-turbo and sequential twin-turbo...
blocks for the CL-Class
Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class is a luxury coupé automobile produced by the German automaker Mercedes-Benz. The name CL stands for the German Comfort Leicht ....
, CLS-Class
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
The Mercedes-Benz CLS is an executive-size sedan originally launched in 2004 and based on the W211 E-Class platform and was internally designated as the C219...
, G-Class
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
The original 460-series Geländewagen went on sale for civilian buyers in 1979, after having debuted in February of that year. It was offered with two wheelbases, a short wheelbase of 2,400 mm and a long one of 2,850 mm. One could choose between three body styles: A two-door short...
and S-Class
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a series of luxury sedans produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The classification was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116 S-Class, which succeeded previous Mercedes-Benz models dating to the mid-1950s...
. The company also provides improvements to the interior from custom upholstery, gauges, shiftknobs, pedals, and trim to various electronics such as wider LCD
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
screens for the Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
.
BRABUS SuperCars
The company has also built limited editions of Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, and Smart vehicles.Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Brabus BullitBrabus BullitThe Brabus Bullit is an automobile designed and made by Brabus. It is the successor to the Brabus Rocket, based on the Mercedes CLS. It is based on the new generation Mercedes C-Class but has been tuned to have . It is also known as the Brabus Bullit Black Arrow or the Brabus Black...
(Mercedes-Benz C-ClassMercedes-Benz C-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a compact executive car produced by the Mercedes-Benz division of Daimler AG. First introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 range , the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's lineup until the 1997 arrival of the A-Class...
, W204 Platform) 6.3 litre TWIN TURBO/BITURBO V12 - Brabus C V8S (Mercedes-Benz C-ClassMercedes-Benz C-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a compact executive car produced by the Mercedes-Benz division of Daimler AG. First introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 range , the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's lineup until the 1997 arrival of the A-Class...
, W203 Platform) 6.1 litre V8 with enhanced camshaft profiles and higher output - Brabus C V8 (Mercedes-Benz C-ClassMercedes-Benz C-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a compact executive car produced by the Mercedes-Benz division of Daimler AG. First introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 range , the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's lineup until the 1997 arrival of the A-Class...
, W203 Platform) 5.8 or 6.1 litre V8 - Brabus C V8 (Mercedes-Benz C-ClassMercedes-Benz C-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a compact executive car produced by the Mercedes-Benz division of Daimler AG. First introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 range , the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's lineup until the 1997 arrival of the A-Class...
, W202 Platform) 5.8 litre V8
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
- Brabus E V12Brabus E V12The Brabus E V12 is a tuned Mercedes-Benz E-Class made by Mercedes-Benz tuning company Brabus. It was succeeded by the Brabus Rocket which is based on the Mercedes-Benz CLS....
(E-class)
- BRABUS E V12T- The Mercedes E-Class Wagon based V12T utilized a 7.3L V12 from the rare SL73 AMG roadster, the Brabus Sport Wagon had 582 horsepower and 570 lbft of torque and would seat seven. Brabus used Mercedes 5-speed automatic to handle the torque, and with rear-wheel drive it reached sixty in 4.6 seconds. Produced from 1996-1998, the Brabus E V12T was the certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the Fastest Wagon in 1996, as it reached nearly 200 MPH.
- BRABUS BLACK BARON (E-class)
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
- BRABUS G 3.6 (G-class)
- BRABUS G V12 (G-class)
- BRABUS G V12 S (G-class)
- BRABUS 800 Widestar (G-class)
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
- BRABUS S500 (5.0l V8)
- BRABUS SV12 S Limousine (S 600 L)marco franzelli owner
- BRABUS T 13 Limousine (s 640 )
- BRABUS SV12 R (S600) iBusiness (750hp )
- BRABUS SV12 R (S600) iBusiness/ Limousine (800hp - World's Fastest luxury sedan)
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
The BRABUS K8 performance kit for the top-of-the-line SL model (SL55) comprises modifications to the supercharger drive in the form of a custom vibration damper and a new pulley for improved belt- drive geometry, high-performance metal catalysts, and an auxiliary circulation pump with opposing radiator. The power developed by the modified supercharged engine is increased from a standard 476 hpto 550 hp at 6,200 rpm. The maximum torque is 780 newton metre torque at 3,000 rpm. After the power treatment the roadster races to 60 mi/h just 4.1 seconds, passes 120 mi/h after exactly 13.6 seconds and reaches an electronically limited top speed 186 mi/h with the limiter removed top speed would be well over 200 mi/h.- BRABUS SV12 S Roadster (SL 600)
- BRABUS T 13 Roadster (SL 600)
- BRABUS SL 55 K8 Roadster (SL 55)
- BRABUS SL 65 Roadster AMG(SL 65 AMG DANIEL MADAR)
smart fortwo
- BRABUS Canada 1 (smart fortwo 450 cdi coupé and convertible) - 4 made for Canada (3 red, 1 white)
- BRABUS edit10n (smart fortwo 451 70 HP coupé) - 10 made for Canada - all Grey metallic/tan leather
- BRABUS Ultimate 112 (smart fortwo convertible)
smart roadster
- smart roadster BRABUS (slight hatchback design)
- smart roadster-coupe BRABUS
- smart roadster-coupe BRABUS biturbo - 10 made
Records
Brabus has held several world records.- In 1996 Brabus E V12 achieved world speed record for street-legal sedan at 330 km/h (205.1 mph).
- In 2003 Brabus E V12 Biturbo made a new record for street-legal sedan at 350.2 km/h (217.6 mph).
- In 2006 Brabus RocketBrabus RocketThe Brabus Rocket is a supercar based on the previous generation of Mercedes-Benz CLS, the C219.-Police car :In the 2006 Tune It Safe! program created by German Federal Traffic Ministry and the Association of German Automobile Tuners , Brabus unveiled a police car version of CLS V12 S Rocket, and...
clocked in new record for street-legal sedan at 362.4 km/h (225.2 mph). The Rocket was based on a modified Mercedes-Benz CLS-ClassMercedes-Benz CLS-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz CLS is an executive-size sedan originally launched in 2004 and based on the W211 E-Class platform and was internally designated as the C219...
W219Mercedes-Benz W219The Mercedes-Benz W219 automobiles began production in 2005 . The platform is based on the W211 E-Class. It is sold as the CLS-Class "4-door coupe", although the bodystyle is properly termed a 4-door sedan, albeit with fastback styling.In 2009, the first testphoto's of the next CLS appeared...
model. - In October 2006 Brabus made another record (for a sedan) with this car at 365.7 km/h (227.2 mph). The price of the car is 348,000 euros.
- A world-record speed of 330.6 km/h (205.2 mph) set on the high-speed test track in Nardo, Italy; Brabus added to its extensive collection of automotive records with a Maybach 57 powered by a 730-hp (720 hp SAE net) / 537-kW Brabus SV12 S Biturbo engine.
Competing Mercedes-Benz performance specialists
- CarlssonCarlsson (car company)Carlsson is a German car tuning manufacturer specialising in Mercedes-Benz cars. The Carlsson tuning house was founded by brothers Rolf and Andreas Hartge in 1989. Carlsson's products are available for the entire current range of Mercedes-Benz models including the R-Class , SL-Class , C-Class and...
- KleemannKleemannKleemann A/S is an after-market tuning company for Mercedes-Benz sports cars, sedans, and SUVs headquartered in Farum, Denmark.Kleemann's slogan is "Comfort Power," referring to its low-boost, high-output engines that create substantially more power than standard Mercedes models...
- Mercedes-AMGMercedes-AMGMercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG, is a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz car company specializing in high-performance luxury cars....
- RenntechRENNtechRenntech is a Florida company established in 1989 by Hartmut Feyhl. It is best known for performance modifications of Mercedes-AMG automobiles....