You can always rely on the fine people at Brabus to come up with something genuinely insane, and the Bottrop-based tuners have once again delivered. This is the Brabus E V12 'One of Ten' and it is without question the most mental saloon ever - and that's from a car maker known for its mad metal.
The latest E V12 extracts a genuinely terrifying 800hp from its 6.3-litre twin-turbo V12 powerplant, enough to push the W212 E-class to a top speed of 231mph. It'll get you there quickly, too - 0-62mph is dealt with in 3.2secs, while 186mph can be reached in 23.9 seconds from a standstill.
The matt-black E V12 looks magnificently aggressive as well. The outrageous carbon fibre rear wheels covers - Brabus describes them as 'aero spats' - help to reduce drag at seriously high speeds, while the carbon fibre rear wing keeps the rear planted.
For people with less-than-regular access to empty autobahns, Brabus will also do you a gentler version with 'just' 750hp and minus the spats and rear wing. That will limit you to a top speed of 219mph, however...
All that speed doesn't come cheap - to get your hands on one of the 10 Brabus E V12s you'll have to shell out £440k (498k euros) before taxes.
Even Brabus can't ignore the 'green' issue, however. Revealed alongside the Mighty E V12 was the Brabus High Voltage, a Smart ForTwo with Tesla-developed 83hp electric motor. It's only got a range of 60 miles, but it does have 206lb ft available from zero rpm, and will do 0-62mph in 3.7sec. Enough for a 'quick' trip to the shops, we should think.