The Brabus 900 Crawler makes the G Wagon look soft in comparison.
By now, most of us know that Brabus are the Mercedes tuners to go to if you’re a billionaire looking for a bespoke Benz (they also make boats, apparently). This yes, Brabus celebrates its 45th anniversary and they’re looking to do the opposite of luxury for one of their Mercedes makeovers.
In fact, they’ve made something as far away from a luxury limousine as you can imagine – they’ve made a buggy.
They’re calling it the Brabus 900 Crawler and it’s so exclusive you are guaranteed to never see one on the road. That’s mostly because it’s not street legal. Only 15 will be made and each are being priced at 749,000 euros.
This isn’t some stripped down G-Wagon for the desert. The Brabus 900 Crawler rides on a bespoke chassis made of exposed carbon with a tubular frame and high-strength steel integral safety cell.
The suspension mounts are designed for maximum toughness and massive engineering work had to go into designing special components to compensate for the difference in height between the powertrain and the driven wheels. It’s all worth it for the grown clearance though, which is 53 centimetres!
Four-way adjustable shock absorbers and custom aluminium struts had to be made specifically for the 900 Crawler. Massive 40 x 13.50 R 20 tyres are mounted on BRABUS Monoblock HD “Platinum Edition” forged wheels. The wheels get an 8-bolt pattern and there’s an identical spare in the rear should off-roading get a bit too rough.
Wide front and rear wheel arches make sure those large wheels look integrated into the bodywork, which features no doors or windows. A carbon fibre roof panel protects against the sun and works are an air duct for those in the rear seats. There’s a rear wing for that touch of sportiness and two LED panels for night driving in the wild dunes.
The front scoops in fresh air for the radiators with its large air intakes while a stainless steel skid plate protects the mechanical parts from contact damage. There’s another in the rear. The 100L safety fuel tank can be ejected using quick-release fasteners. The rocker panels on both sides are strong enough to be handled when entering the vehicle.
Here’s the press release with details on the engine.
PRESS RELEASE
Eight cylinders, two turbochargers, and a displacement of 4.5 liters – these are the key data of the BRABUS 900 ROCKET V8 twin-turbo, increased-displacement engine that powers the CRAWLER. The engine is a masterpiece of engineering with select hi-tech components. They include forged pistons with a diameter of 84 millimeters (3.3 in), precision-balanced special piston rods and a special billet crankshaft with a stroke of 100 millimeters (3.9 in).
The elements of the forced induction system are just as select. The two special BRABUS turbochargers produce a maximum boost pressure of 1.4 bar, while the two BRABUS BoostXtra valves generate a thrilling blow-off noise when the driver lifts off the gas. High-pressure fuel pumps and a ram-air intake system with special air filters supply the engine with fuel and combustion air. The engine is housed under an attractive and sporty BRABUS engine cover produced from red carbon fiber. The BRABUS high-performance exhaust system on the outlet side captivates with its two matt black tailpipes side-exiting below the carbon rocker panels on either side of the vehicle in front of the rear wheels. Special downpipes with a diameter of 76 millimeters (3 in) and metal catalysts let the eight-cylinder breathe freely. The two BRABUS mufflers with actively controlled exhaust valves provide active sound management. The driver can choose between a throaty V8 sound and a subtle whisper in “Coming Home” mode at the touch of a button on the steering wheel.
The BRABUS powerplant engineers and electronics specialists precisely coordinated the interaction of the high-performance components. This result in flawless durability and tremendous power delivery. The engine of the BRABUS 900 CRAWLER produces 662 kW / 900 hp (888 bhp) at a low 6,200 rpm. The peak torque of 1,250 Nm (922 lb-ft) is just as exceptional. It is on tap at a low 2,900 rpm. This figure is limited electronically in the vehicle to 1,050 Nm (774 lb-ft). BRABUS recommends high-performance lubricants from MOTUL also for demanding desert operations.
The power is transferred to the permanent all-wheel-drive system that is equipped with electronically controlled locking differentials by a nine-speed transmission, whose gears are shifted with the BRABUS RACE paddle shifters on the ergonomic steering wheel. Automatic mode is alternatively available.
The explosive combination of 900 horsepower and all-wheel drive is reflected in tremendous acceleration. Despite a curb weight of more than two metric tons plus crew, the BRABUS 900 CRAWLER slings itself from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a mere 3.4 seconds. Due to the off-road tires mounted for driving in the desert, the top speed is electronically limited to 160 km/h (100 mph).
The cockpit of the BRABUS supercar provides an experience of the fascination of this desert racer as pure as no other BRABUS supercar before. The driver plus a maximum of three passengers are strapped into the carbon racing seats of the BRABUS 900 CRAWLER with four-point seatbelts. The seats provide perfect support and outstanding comfort. They are covered in the BRABUS upholstery shop with bright red Silvertex fabric that matches the frame and some interior sections sporting that same color. This hi-tech fabric was adopted from the BRABUS Marine high-performance sport boats. However, what counts in a desert racer is not so much the imperviousness to water, but rather to sand. In addition, this material stands out due to its remarkable resistance to being bleached by the sun. Just as exceptional as this choice of material is the high-quality workmanship that goes into the quilting applied with pinpoint precision and the BRABUS logos embroidered on the head restraints.
The interior features red anodized parts such as the pedals and the driver footrest as well as elements such as the switches with red glazing to match the red highlights that BRABUS adds with the frame, the chassis components and the seat upholstery. The bracket for the GPS navigation system positioned in front of the co-driver sports that same color. BRABUS optionally also supplies individually compiled map data for the area where the particular CRAWLER buyer operates the vehicle.
The vehicle has an intercom system on board for communication among the individual crew members. It can be used with the four supplied BRABUS carbon helmets or with any other headsets.
The BRABUS 900 CRAWLER is built in a limited edition of just 15 vehicles. The first five of these supercars will be delivered this still year. Another five CRAWLERS will follow in 2023 and five more in 2024.
The BRABUS 900 CRAWLER sells for 749,000 euros (export price excluding statutory VAT in Germany).
