Brabus 850 is a monster V12 limo
Big 12-cylinder limos are an all-but-dead breed. The V12 BMW 7 Series is gone, all the W12 Bentleys are soon to be gone and the Audi A8 hasn’t had a W12 in a very long time. All that remains are Rolls-Royce and Maybach, which themselves are well on the way to full electrification.
Yes, we said Maybach, for while the standard S-Class forgoes a dirty dozen, the Maybach – made in such small numbers as it is – keeps the option of the titanic S680. Well, that already-incredible £200,000-plus, 600PS-plus V12 monster can be had in an even more egregious specification: that built by Brabus. Meet the (police) stately Brabus 850 and yes, the number corresponds very much to the planet-twisting power within.
Brabus describes the 850 as a ‘rolling symphony of avant-garde’ that’s ‘an experience without parallel’. To be fair to them, that’s not hyperbole, given you won’t get a brand new luxo-barge with a 6.3-litre twin-turbo V12 good for 850PS (625kW) and 1,400Nm (1,033lb ft) of torque – yes, you read that last one correctly – anywhere else. Top speed is sadly limited to 155mph, though it will hit 62mph in 4.1 seconds. De-limit it and we’re sure it’ll sing past the double-tonne.
For what it’s worth, that’s limited to 1,100Nm and amusingly, they also state the economy numbers. The Brabus 850 will deliver 16.6mpg, if you’re asking. We suspect what seems like a rather generous number comes when not goading those voluminous turbochargers with your right foot.
So how does big and powerful get bigger and powerfuller? Well, the 850 gets a new machined crankshaft with a 90mm stroke, machined connecting rods, forged pistons, rebuilt turbochargers and a redesigned exhaust, all tied together with a specific Brabus tune. The truth of it is, that V12 operates fairly conservatively in ‘standard’ Maybach form. Remember, this thing is good for more than 800PS in the highly modified versions seen in Paganis.
Of course, being a Maybach S-Class, it’s about a lot more than just raw power. It’s about presence. To that end Brabus has gone over the 850 inside and out for a menacing refit. Besides the lack of the three-pointed star, the addition of lots of carbon, big-bore exhausts and enormous monoblock wheels tells you this isn’t a car to risk getting into a road rage incident with. Brabus badges all around are a giveaway, too, though a big ‘B’ badge up front is missing compared to Brabus’ of old.
On the inside, there’s more quilted leather than a Russian presidential nuclear bunker, while plenty of carbon reminds you of the potency underfoot. That’s ‘Seashell Diamond’ quilting by the way, which is really quite pleasant. There’s nothing about secret compartments for weapon storage, though, so that might be a job for your ‘guy’.
Price? There’s no mention, but the Maybach on its own is a £217,000 car from Mercedes. We’d expect this to be in excess of £500,000, not payable with unmarked bills in a briefcase before you ask.
Brabus
S-Class
