Brabus drags G Class luxury into a new extreme, because a five door 800 horsepower cabriolet sounds like someone left the laws of physics at home
Brabus has unveiled a cabriolet based on the five door Mercedes Benz G Class, and its 800 horsepower engine gives this curious beast enough force to hurl itself to 100 kilometres per hour in four seconds.
The cabriolet world is mostly populated by lighter cars with two doors. Mercedes once built a two door version of the G Class, but Brabus decided that was not quite bold enough. The tuning firm took a standard five door G63 and removed its roof. A reinforced frame kept the body as stiff as the original AMG model, a result that earns a sceptical half smile, because most cars start rattling after surgery this drastic.
Brabus created a new roof from scratch. The soft top folds above both seat rows and settles behind them. The system contains nearly 500 purpose made components. It changes position in about 20 seconds, a figure that prompts a quiet thought about what maintenance might look like.
The rear section gained a heated glass window. At the front, a carbon fibre panel supports the roof structure, holds its shape and reduces noise at higher speeds. The same material appears in the exterior trim and the cabin. A black body meets light leather. Neck level heating in the headrests adds a mischievous touch of cabriolet comfort for occupants who are not afraid of a chilly breeze.
The four litre twin turbo V8 delivers 800 horsepower and 1000 newton metres. The car sprints to 100 kilometres per hour in four seconds and keeps going until it reaches 240 kilometres per hour. A nine speed automatic handles the shifts. Side mounted exhausts can be tailored to the driver’s preferred volume. The wheels measure 24 inches with 295/30 tyres at the front and 345/25 at the rear.
Brabus will build only 50 of these cabriolets. Each one will be tailored to its buyer. It would be no surprise if the clients lean towards extravagance, because five doors and a removable roof create a package that hovers somewhere between cabriolets and SUVs.
The project reinforces Brabus’s position at the sharp end of niche performance brands. In a market where electric super luxury SUVs are gathering momentum and manufacturers work hard to cut emissions, an open top G Class with 800 horsepower sounds almost defiant. This machine is not chasing modern efficiency or technological virtue. It aims to deliver a rarity that mass production rarely dares to attempt.
