Brabus goes bonkers with Mercedes-AMG G63 bakkie

BRABUS is renowned for creating some really brutal machines, but the new P900 Rocket Edition “One of Ten” gets 10 out of 10 for uniqueness.

Not only has the German tuner managed to successfully transform the Mercedes-AMG G63 SUV into a bakkie, but it’s also been given a significant performance boost that makes it one of the most powerful pick-ups in the world.

Beneath the bonnet, Brabus has installed its 4.4-litre version of Mercedes-AMG’s twin-turbo V8 engine, which produces 662kW at 6 200rpm and 1 250Nm from 2 900rpm. Consider that the standard G63 produces “just” 430kW and 850Nm.

Brabus boasts that its bakkie beast will sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds (the regular G63 takes 4.5s), making it one of the fastest and most powerful pick-ups on the planet. Granted, the Ram-based Hennessey Mammoth 1000 TRX produces 745kW, and there’s probably some dude in Durban with a VW Caddy that makes even more than that, but let’s not steal any more of the Brabus P900’s thunder. How did they make it so powerful? While the software has been recalibrated, there’s a lot more to this engine conversion. Not only has the displacement been increased, from 3982cc to 4407cc, but the tuner has also installed upgraded turbochargers that increase the boost pressure to 1.4 bar, and a high-performance exhaust system.

In order to accommodate the bakkie’s load bin, some serious chassis and body modifications were carried out, and the wheelbase was stretched by 50cm. Brabus made use of stateof-the-art design and construction software to ensure that the vehicle’s torsional rigidity was maintained.

Brabus says it will produce just 10 examples of the Brabus P900 Rocket Edition, and as if that wasn’t enough to ensure exclusivity, clients will be able to customise the exterior and interior of their vehicles.

According to Brabus, the export price in Germany is listed at €649 638, which equated to around R11.2 million at the time of writing, and that’s before any import duties come into play.