For decades, there was an unspoken wisdom among prestigious German manufacturers: the Porsche 911 is not touched. Nobody proposes an alternative to the eternal Porsche. Yes, Audi launched the R8, but it was a two-seater. AND Mercedes-AMGwith the AMG GT or the SLS were also limited to a two-seater architecture.
Only Mercedes, with the SL and its 2+2 configuration, seemed to be an alternative to the Porsche 911 in a grand tourism style, rather than a truly sporty one. Until now. Brabus has set out to manufacture the rival to the Porsche 911 that Mercedes never had, the Brabus Rocket GTS.
Brabus Rocket GTS: with the subtlety of a rocket
Brabus’ proposal is also very original, since we are looking at a shooting brake, one of those two-door sports cars. The BMW Z3 Coupé and the Ferrari FF and GTC4 Lusso being the last and most illustrious representatives of this now extinct body type. The Rocket GTS thus recovers this original type of bodywork based on the AMG SL 63 E-Performance, the plug-in hybrid variant of the roadster, and also takes it up to 1,000 HP of power.
The silhouette and menacing appearance of the Rocket, with its body fully covered in carbon fiber At first sight, however, it is not as elegant as the BMW Z3 Coupé or the aforementioned Ferraris. The Rocket GTS seems like a clumsy fusion of incompatible ideas, a facet that is made more confusing by the way the rear side windows are finished, in the style of the Hofmeister curve (Hofmeister Kink) typical of BMWs.
In addition to turning the SL into a coupe with enough space under the roof for an adult to sit in the rear seats, the Brabus Rocket sports one of the brand’s most exuberant body kits. Spoilers, skirts, spoilers and widened fins (behind, the car now measures 1.98 m wide) in carbon fiber continue the trend started by Mansory of the more the better, far from the discretion that the Brabus boasted in the 80s and 90s.
Like the exterior, the interior is full of carbon fiber, but maintains the luxury of the SL. The black and gray cabin has a certain industrial feel, mixing materials that would be seen inside a racing car, such as carbon, with the huge screens of current Mercedes.
Under the hood, Brabus continues to do what it has done best for several decades: getting more power out of Mercedes engines. He V8 AMG 4.0 liters goes here to 4.4 literswhile its power jumps from 612 HP to 796 HP and its torque goes from 850 Nm to 1,250 Nm, although in the car it is electronically limited to 1,050 Nm to preserve the integrity of the 9-speed Speedshift gearbox .
Being a hybrid mechanics, the total power of the set reaches 1.000 CV y 1.620 Nm of engine torque. The 204 HP rear axle electric motor, which includes a two-speed gearbox, and the 6.1 kWh battery remain standard.
To transmit all that power to the asphalt, the Brabus wheels measure 21 and 22 inches and are equipped with 275 and 335 mm wide tires. In terms of performance, the Rocket GTS deserves its rocket name with performance similar to that of the Porsche 911 Turbo S.
Run the 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.7 seconds and 0 to 200 km/h in 9.5 s. The Rocket GTS reaches 300 km/h in just 23.6 seconds and continues accelerating to 317 km/h (330 km/h for the 911 Turbo S) before the electronic flange intervenes to put an end to the party.
Tempted by the latest work of the Bottrop wizards? The brand’s website has a tool to request it. Of course, we must take into account that it costs 794,758.40 euros before taxes at the factory, which for Spain would be a price of 1,078,000 euros with taxes included if you pick it up at the factory. A little expensive? Well, it includes the base Mercedes SL 63 E Performance that already costs 248,000 euros.
Source: www.motorpasion.com
