The Brabus Rocket 900 Has So Much Torque It Would Shred AMG’s Gearbox

The conversation around whether tuning is sometimes pointless has been had many times, but brace for a recap thanks to a fearsome new AMG-based monster from Brabus.

Brabus has absolutely gone to town on what it calls the Rocket 900. The 900 comes from its metric horsepower output, equivalent to 888bhp, but the even more astonishing number comes from the torque figure: the 4.5-litre twin-turbo V8 can produce a peak of 922lb ft, or 1250Nm. It’s so much torque that, if left unchecked, it would turn the transmission into metal filings faster than you could eat a Happy Meal. An electronic limiter reduces peak torque to 774lb ft (1050Nm).

It wasn’t a case of just turning the wick up on the ECU. The block has has work to raise capacity by 500cc. The turbochargers are larger, custom items with higher maximum boost pressures. They needed extra heat management so there’s now a pair of carbon ram-air intakes below each headlight. The final power figures even eclipse - by a long way - those of the crazy Brabus 800 Adventure.

Fast? Yes, rather. Brabus claims 0-62mph takes 2.8 seconds; 0-124mph is clocked in 9.7 seconds and 0-186mph takes 23.9 seconds, or about the same length of time it takes for the average octogenarian in a Honda Jazz to realise the traffic lights have turned green. Top speed for the Rocket 900 is limited to 205mph, officially to protect the tyres because of the car’s sheer weight, but possibly also to prevent it from accidentally achieving warp speed.

Of course, the engine mods aren’t alone. There’s a full, aerodynamically functional body kit and Brabus’ own 22- and 21-inch aero wheels, a stainless steel quad-exhaust system and lowered air suspension.

Only 10 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S coupes will be converted into Rocket 900 spec, adding even more exclusivity. The price is pretty much as expensive as you’d expect, at €435,800 (£395,000) for the pictured example, although that does at least include the donor car.