Friday 6th March 2015

Brabus SL Pagoda: Pic Of The Week

Did you know Brabus does restorations? They're quite special...

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'Brabus SL Pagoda' doesn't create a pretty picture in the mind. We're all for creating lunatics from modern Mercedes-Benzes, but there's a point when the cars become classics and they shouldn't really be meddled with.

Ain't she a beaut?

Fortunately this car is not what you may expect from a Brabus Pagoda. It also does restorations under the 'Brabus Classic' badge, and brought a few to Geneva to sit alongside the 900hp S-Class, 700hp 6x6 G-Class and others. My they're beautiful.

There was a 300SL Roadster, 280SE 3.5 and this wonderful Pagoda. The Brabus Classic work is as meticulous as it looks. Between 1,500 and 2,500 man hours are spent totally renewing a Mercedes, beginning with a total disassembly and comprising a full respray, engine rebuild and complete reupholstering. The results are spectacular, as any Geneva showgoer will attest.

"It is obvious that a restoration on this scale does not come cheap." When that comes from the manufacturer's press release you know it's going to be expensive. The 300SL also recommissioned by Brabus Classic was available at £1.37m, for example... On the Brabus classified site (caution: may cause distraction), there's this Pagoda which looks a relative snip at 249,000 euros, or £180,000 at today's exchange rate. Be sure to check out the Pullman while you're there too...

Traditional (4:3)
Computer widescreen (16:10)
TV widescreen (16:9)
Portrait (smartphone, etc)

[Monty Python]

It's "Pagode", not Pagoda

[J4CKO]

Monty Python said:

It's "Pagode", not Pagoda

Pedante

[Monty Python]

J4CKO said:

Pedante

Well who in their right mind would call something a Mercedes Tiered Tower with Multiple Eaves?

[swisstoni]

No it isn't.

[kambites]

That is really rather special looking.

[numtumfutunch]

oh no, thats my afternoon trashed

[daveco]

Very delicate design. Saw a good few over in Berlin in the Remise museum, including a few being restored. 4 speed manuals!

[Richard A]

The utterly calm, self-assured understatement of 60s Mercs really does put their current blingy, histrionic design language to shame.

Designers had an understanding of the whole back then. Nowadays it just seems to be a competition between CAD/CAM jockeys to see who can drag-and-drop the most incongruent shapes onto a formulaic body-in-white.

[Oddball RS]

"slightly concave hardtop, which inspired the "Pagoda" nickname."

Tells you something about the massively over inflated classic market when they start doing this............

[soad]

She's a beauty.

[LordGrover]

Quite pleasing; youtube.

[Amirhussain]

Beautiful

[Megaflow]

Stunning.

Possibly one of the prettiest cars ever IMO.

[Superdavros]

"Pagoda" is the English language nick-name, "Pagode" is the foreign version, from the verb, "I Pagode", "you Pagode" etc..

The Mercedes-Benz code is W113 and the Brabus version is a thing of loveliness, however to maintain the pedant theme, its not entirely correct to the original build specification, as the engine hose clamps in gold, dipstick top should be red, the hood catch should be body colour..

Those facts are not from my knowledge, but a W113 site (of mildly fanatical, but detailed Pagode followers).

In fact, Santa, I'd like to submit my £100k (+) garage right now:

1. The Pagoda
2. The 800bhp 4WD E Class Estate they had on the Brabus stand

Job done.

Please...

[Chris Stott]

Such a beautifully understated design.

[George29]

It's nice, but I'd rather have this from the Brabus classifieds:

http://www.brabus.com/cars4sale/car_E65.html?lang=...

[soad]

George29 said:

It's nice, but I'd rather have this from the Brabus classifieds:

http://www.brabus.com/cars4sale/car_E65.html?lang=...

BRABUS 6.5 - MB E500 (W 124). The correct answer is to have both.

[GranCab]

2,500 hours of labour - even at Germanic Artisan rates can't add up to more than £400K. Plus the original car and some spare parts .... kerching ! £1.37 Million

Next project For Edd China and Mike Brewer on Wheeler Dealers should be on of these ....

[jdw1234]

GranCab said:

2,500 hours of labour - even at Germanic Artisan rates can't add up to more than £400K. Plus the original car and some spare parts .... kerching ! £1.37 Million

Next project For Edd China and Mike Brewer on Wheeler Dealers should be on of these ....

300sl Roadster in this context is referring to the roadster version of what is commonly known as the "Gullwing".

Not a W113, R107 etc. etc.

I.e. Edd and Mike might not make such a profit ;-)

[lee19760]

It's nice but it's not £1.37 million nice.