The Mercedes tuner Brabus turns the off-road vehicle into a luxury car. The G-Class becomes a pompous pick-up. A car that defies the spirit of the times.
What Rolls-Royce is for the Royals is Brabus for super-rich premium buyers with a penchant for extravagance. Because hardly any other tuner builds cars as profoundly as the Mercedes tuner from Bottrop.
The latest example of this is the Brabus 800 Adventure XLP, with which the fast troop from the Ruhr area is now trying to conquer the luxury segment. For prices starting at 463,900 euros, the Mercedes G-Class becomes a pompous monster pick-up in which the driver can feel like a prince on the sand track.
In order to take full advantage of the square from Graz, however, the asphalt-free area should be of a certain size, which should not be a problem for customers who are often suspected in the Emirates. Neither is it for wealthy Russians who are equally suitable as a target group. If you want to drive such a colossus with us, you probably have to make do with the boulevard.
But even here this very special G-model impresses with its imposing appearance. Because Brabus has not only set up a platform and stretched the off-road professional enormously in terms of wheelbase and length. The developers also put the now 5.31 meter long car on so-called portal axles. With them, the ground clearance increases to almost half a meter.
In the wild, the four-wheel drive climbs steadfastly over tree trunks and wades through river beds, in which other off-road vehicles literally go under. In the city, its size is particularly striking. But the carbon parts that are attached all around, as well as a cable winch in the bow and powerful auxiliary lights on the roof serve as eye-catchers. The G-Class almost looks like a car from a survival film – so you shouldn’t be shy and shy if you want to drive this lifestyle vice.
The pick-up is not too good for dirt in the field. But no matter how dirty it gets outside, it envelops the occupants with a lot of luxury. Despite the platform, Brabus not only kept enough space free for the passengers, but also upgraded the already generous arrangement of lacquer and leather. In addition, the tuning experts have equipped the off-road vehicle with anodized switches, clad surfaces and elaborate stitching in the upholstery.
Brabus also manages to put the drive in the right proportion to the opulent size and equipment. As if the 430 kW / 585 hp of the AMG model were not already lavish enough, the refiner takes another look at the four-liter eight-cylinder. The result: The power rises to 588 kW / 800 PS, and the torque curve only peaks at 1000 Nm.
Although the pick-up weighs three tons, the car suddenly feels very light when the turbo catapults the colossus from standstill to 100 km / h in 4.8 seconds. And 210 km / h top speed may be standard for an average off-road vehicle. But felt two meters above the road, things look a bit different in the giant mobile.
But be careful: Even if the pick-up accelerates better than some Porsche , you need a certain foresight behind the wheel. Because despite particularly snappy brakes and a stable chassis, the G-Class takes up a little more space in bends and takes a little time to stop. And the XXL size has another disadvantage: consumption already climbs to 14.5 liters on the test bench (CO2 emissions 345 g / km) and in practice is likely to quickly double. This will hardly bother customers – because economy is certainly not part of their buying motives.
The price is hardly an obstacle for them either. Even if Brabus requires at least about three times what Mercedes offshoot AMG charges. But those interested in the money also need plenty of patience: less because of the three months that Brabus is budgeting for the renovation. But because at Mercedes alone the delivery period is over a year.
Conclusion
Of course, the Brabus 800 Adventure XLP is hopelessly unreasonable and therefore comparable to any other toy. But just like a model train, it can be a lot of fun – provided the money is enough. After all, its high price also has advantages: for the owners because they are part of an exclusive circle. And for the rest of the world, because the price severely limits the number and therefore the harmful environmental impact.
