The Limited Brabus Rocket 900 Is a Masterful Experiment in Stylish Speed

Modified Mercedes.

Writer Sami Haj-Assaad

When you want something special, you may head to the traditional luxury automakers to fill that need. However, if you want something exclusive and incredible, stop by at Brabus to see what the creative masterminds there have been working on. Their latest creation is the Brabus Rocket 900, a speedy super-sedan that’s been limited to just 10 units because the world simply wouldn’t be able to handle 11 or 12 of these things blasting around.

Brabus creates the Rocket 900 by taking the already quick Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S four-door and exposing it to the same gamma radiation that causes Dr. Bruce Banner to transform into the Hulk. Okay, fine, its mad scientists aren’t that crazy, but Brabus increases the displacement of the engine to 4.5 litres (from a pathetic four litres) and tossed the standard turbochargers for their own pair with larger compressors. Whenever that happens, the engine needs more air, so Brabus had to carve out some new front air inlets as part of the thorough redesign of the body.

The result is a sedan with 888 horsepower and 922 lb-ft of torque, an increase of more than 200 horsepower and torque over the standard Mercedes model. The byproduct of that much more power is a decreased 0–100 km/h time, with the sprint taking just 2.8 seconds, assuming the tires can actually withstand that much torque and don’t instantly turn to dust and smoke.

Brabus had to electronically limit the speed of the vehicle to 330 km/h due to the relatively high weight of the vehicle. Who would have guessed that “safety first” is also the motto at Brabus? It’d be interesting to see what the Rocket 900 could do around a track, considering the GT 63 S four-door is based on a record around the famed Nürburgring racetrack back in 2018 as the world’s fastest four-door. In the right setting, it’s not unreasonable to believe the Rocket 900 could shave a millisecond off that time.

While many critics are quite fond of the soundtrack associated with the Mercedes-AMG V8, Brabus has changed the exhaust system to its own stainless-steel high-performance setup with reduced back pressure and a few extra settings, including a surprisingly considerate “Coming Home” mode that will hopefully prevent nasty phone calls from neighbours about waking up their napping kids.

Brabus also tuned the air suspension system, which will now lower the vehicle by 25 millimetres in the Comfort and Sport drive modes. However, it may be difficult to notice that drop, as the vehicle now sports significantly larger fender flares, as well as an aerodynamic multipiece carbon rear wing and rear diffuser to improve the balance of the vehicle at speed.

The Rocket 900 uses a ton of carbon fibre and other exotic materials. The fender liners are made from kevlar, the wheels feature naked carbon, the body panels are also made of carbon fibre, as are the mirror covers, while the interior is loaded with carbon elements and other stylish touches that help set this vehicle apart from the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S four-door.

With unique crests and badges on the seatbacks and headrests, the Brabus will impress even the most snooty passenger. Who can resist the stealthy grey piping and seams in the black quilted leather? Soft Alcantara is also found throughout the cabin. There are 215 newly painted parts in the cabin, from the bezels in the cockpit to the switchgear found throughout the interior, all matching the exterior paint of this super-sedan. That’s serious dedication to the craft.

So it’s plenty fast, extremely rare, hard to miss but also pretty pricey. It’s worth every penny, considering you’re getting something decidedly more interesting than the four-seater Ferrari GTC4 Lusso.