Mercedes C63–Based Brabus Bullit Coupe 800 Burns Rubber and Sanity [Geneva Auto Show]

Some automotive tuners do their work by adding wheels and body kits to Ferraris in Photoshop. Brabus shoehorns brutal engines into Mercedes-Benzes and then pumps them up with amphetamines. The latest escapee from the Brabus lab debuted at the Geneva auto show. It's the Bullit Coupe 800, and it's a monstrous cousin to the two-door Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. The name comes from the twin-turbocharged V-12 murderer living under the hood, which makes 800 hp on the European scale—789 on ours—and 811 lb-ft of torque. (On a dyno, the engine is actually good for 1047 lb-ft, but that's been electronically limited in the car to keep the transmission, a reinforced version of Benz's seven-speed unit, from lunching itself.) The engine starts life as a plain Mercedes-Benz biturbo V-12, but is then enlarged from 5.5 liters to 6.3 and treated to an otherwise substantial overhaul. To put those specs in a little context, the standard C63 AMG coupe's 6.2-liter V-8 makes 451 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque; that power number rises to 481 if you order the Development package. The brutal Black Series version of the C63 bumps output to 510 hp and 457 lb-ft. And, just for good relative measure, the stock bi-turbo V-12 in the S600: 510 hp, 612 lb-ft of torque. Back to the Bullit. Other mechanical changes from a pedestrian C63 include a height-adjustable coil-over suspension with ten settings—it was co-developed with Bilstein—and upgraded anti-roll bars. A SEMA-shaming body kit is installed, which includes carbon-fiber lower spoilers in the front and rear, air intakes, and a wing straight out of The Fast and the Furious accessory catalog mounted on the back. Brabus has also added custom 20-inch wheels, which measure 8.5 inches wide in the front and 9.5 in the back. The interior of the Bullit Coupe 800 is covered in leather and faux suede, and carbon-fiber trim has been added to remind drivers that this is supposed to be a lightweight car. (The fact that Brabus says it actually weighs 4012 pounds will probably not be advertised prominently.) It would be a bit lighter if you order your Bullit to be based on the C63 AMG Black Series, which Brabus says is an option, rather than a standard and heavier C63 AMG. On the numbers front, here's what you want to know: Brabus says the Bullit will go from 0 to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of over 230 mph. The acceleration might seem suspect, since we've done 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds with the 3996-pound, 481-hp C63 AMG coupe. But it's important to remember that ungodly power numbers such as these are often difficult to transfer onto the pavement; once the Bullit hooks up (if it ever hooks up), it's on, and on, and on, to that super top speed. As for price, the Bullit Coupe 800 starts at €378,000. That's $495,000 at today's exchange rates, but as such conversions are usually a little off-target, we suggest asking Brabus for a price in dollars. Or if it will take your helicopter as a trade-in. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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