Monday 11th July 2011

Brabus Reveals World's Fastest Four-Seat Cabrio

Bottrop-built 231mph E V12 Cabriolet is predictably insane

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The world's most powerful and fastest four-seater cabrio. These are the words at the top of the press release for the new Brabus 800 E V12 soft-top, and they tell you more or less all you need to know about Brabus's latest insane creation.

The Brabus E V12 powertrain is a familiar one. We've seen its twin-turbocharged, 788bhp, 1047lb ft insanity in both the saloon and coupe E-classes, but somehow to dump it all into the chilled-outboulevardier that is the E-class cabrio is genuinely eye-opening.

As are the numbers: courtesy of all those horses, the E V12 cabrio can knock along at 231mph flat out (presumably with the top up) and, should you find a sticky enough surface, can hit 62mph from rest in 3.7secs, 124mph in 9.9secs and 186mph in 23.9secs.

It's not cheap, though, being built to order 'from' 478,000 euros (£423k). You do get more than just epic performance in exchange for your (large) pile of cash, however.

Brabus goes to the trouble of fitting a high-performance LSD (thankfully), coilover suspension, chunky wheels and tyres, big brakes (380mm front, 360mm rear) and a wind-tunnel-honed aero package, as well as the usual Brabus shiny and/or leathery bits.

You can check out the spec of the E V12 cabrio in finer detail in the original press release.

[Beefmeister]

I do wonder whether this top speed claim is with the roof up or down.

Down would be absurd - the turbulence caused by the lack of roof would surely stop it reaching those speeds? Though i believe a 9ff 911 did over 200mph at VMax with the roof down didn't it?

But then, many cabrios are speed limited because of the effect of high pressure at high speeds on the canvas roof - they have a tendency to get sucked outwards. So if it is roof up, this is a stunning achievment for the standard Merc hood, unless Brabus has replaced it.

Either way, some clarification from Brabus would be nice.

[sprinter1050]

I wonder how many "normal" passengers would volunteer for the back seats at 231 mph ?

..& I don't think they'd give a ste whether the top was up or not : ..they'd probably be "giving it plenty" in the back regardless.

[Rusty-C]

Not sure I'd want to pay that, V12 or not.

[Cakes]

Ok, it's an incredible engine but I can't help but wonder who out there would spend nearly £500k on an E class soft top?

[kambites]

Not my kind of car at all, but I can't help but love Brabus for the absurdity of it.

[Slinky]

Beefmeister said:

Though i believe a 9ff 911 did over 200mph at VMax with the roof down didn't it?

Vmax200.com said:

Top Down Top Speed - 9ff's 997TT Cab with 210mph

[dele]

Cakes said:

Ok, it's an incredible engine but I can't help but wonder who out there would spend nearly £500k on an E class soft top?

Me

[Beefmeister]

Slinky said:

Beefmeister said:

Though i believe a 9ff 911 did over 200mph at VMax with the roof down didn't it?

Vmax200.com said:

Top Down Top Speed - 9ff's 997TT Cab with 210mph

Thanks muchly!

[ZesPak]

OMG the want is very strong in this one, just for the sheer lunacy of it.

Just for a reference, almost exactly a year ago:
G-Power Tuned M5 "fastest sedan"

I can't help but applaude Brabus for their crazy efforts, and the 0-100km/h looks "fast", but the 0-200 and 300 numbers just tell you what this car'll do.

The only sad thing is that they named it the "800 E", while it produces a measly 788bhp.

Edited by ZesPak on Monday 11th July 12:37

[mybrainhurts]

Won't matter if you roll that...

The blood won't show...

[soad]

ZesPak said:

The only sad thing is that they named it the "800 E", while it produces a measly 788bhp.

Doubt if you'd notice the extra 12bhp

[Garlick]

There's expensive cars, very expensive cars and then there is this. Wow.

[adz13091982]

Yawn! All headed to China & The Middle East I suspect!!

[Jakdaw]

ZesPak said:

The only sad thing is that they named it the "800 E", while it produces a measly 788bhp.

Presumably it's 800 PS?

[tonym911]

Should have called it the 800 UAE

[Animal]

Jakdaw said:

ZesPak said:

The only sad thing is that they named it the "800 E", while it produces a measly 788bhp.

Presumably it's 800 PS?

[Gizmo!]

kambites said:

Not my kind of car at all, but I can't help but love Brabus for the absurdity of it.

Agreed. Would I buy one, even if the 5+2 numbers came up? No. Would I want to drive one? Well, probably briefly. But do I love the way that Brabus continue to make these crazy, crazy cars... oh yes.

[Laird]

Cakes said:

Ok, it's an incredible engine but I can't help but wonder who out there would spend nearly £500k on an E class soft top?

HTH

[EDLT]

I'd be surprised if the roof can cope with 230mph, Mercedes won't have designed a roof that strong just to stick it on a car that is limited to 155mph would they?

I prefer a folding metal roof anyway.

[alexpa]

Too cheap for me
Make it another couple of hundred grand and ill consider it. Oh, and I want whale dick skin seats.