Brabus XL gets portal axles, 800hp
Concerned Brabus Gs are too much about posturing? Try its new 'all-terrain supercar'
Never let it be said that Brabus doesn’t cater to all tastes. From Smart cars to motorhomes, there’s surely something that’ll appeal. Now there’s something called an XL 800, taking the portal axle tech of the wild Crawler with some more familiar Brabus G-Class OTT-ness: see the carbon widebody and a concrete grey interior.
What underpins an XL really is interesting, however. Brabus suggests that ‘maximum off-road capabilities’ was their primary objective when it came to building this car, and therefore this car employs an entirely new independent front suspension. The rear suspension, while still a solid axle, has been overhauled as well - think links and axle housing - to ensure that the milled-from-billet-aluminium portal axles could fit. As with the previous ‘squared’ G-Classes, they work wonders for axle articulation and off-road ability: Brabus claims 47cm of ground clearance.
The coilovers used are height adjustable, the damping has been adjusted to factor in the new axles, and the standard suspension adjustment dial inside can be used to tweak on the fly. Impressive. Best representing what a bizarre clash of cultures this XL is, the wheels remain 22-inch in diameter, but are bespoke for this installation to deal with the weight of this car. Brabus has somehow found off-road tyres in 325/55 R22. Wherever you want to do and whenever you want to go there, the Brabus XL 800 can do it.
Whether you’ll want to, of course, remains a different matter, what with all the carbon. This is another Brabus Widestar kit, and it certainly complements the aesthetic created by those incredible forged wheels. There’s carbon for the bonnet, around the radiator, for the wind deflector and more. This one even gets a Brabus Carbon Package, just to be absolutely sure. All XL 800s are fitted with Brabus’s ‘Easy Entry’ 90-degree hinges and steps to make clambering in and out simpler. What a mad machine.
Brabus hasn’t issued a kerbweight for the XL 800, but consider the name, the off-road hardware fitted and the fact that 800hp can only get to 62mph in 4.6 seconds and it’s clear this is a big old bus. The off-road tyres mean a max of 130mph, too. Still, the sound is going to be sensational, and surely feeling 738lb ft have its influence on a G will be mighty amusing. As with all these Brabus 800hp reworks of the M177 4.0-litre, its own pair of 1.6 bar turbos are central to the big power gain. They probably play a part in combined 11.7mpg, too, but nobody has ever bought any kind of G for efficiency.
It would seem, thankfully, that the Slate Grey Brabus Masterpiece interior seen here isn’t compulsory with an XL 800. But there is more carbon, backlit Brabus scuff plates and Double Cube quilting ‘to ensure optimal climate control of the seats.’ This really is peak Brabus: more of everything all the time. So it’s peak Brabus pricing as well, with an RRP from €630,767 - excluding VAT. So three quarters of a million euros with the vodka and tonic on top, or very nearly £650,000. Yikes. But if it’s a portal axled G63 you’re after, and can go without too much Brabusification, check this out for half the price. The apocalypse won’t know what’s hit it.
That interior is prime John Major.
For some (myself included) would derive pleasure from just owning and appreciating such a thing. As far as off-roaders go you don't get much more capable and engineered than a triple diff-locked, portal axled V-8.
It will likely never be used anywhere that needs that kind of combined capabilities, however knowing that your vehicle is capable of taking you anywhere that an (as-bought) wheeled SUV type vehicle can go, is a nice place to be.
I'd buy one (as part of a wider collection) if I had serious f
k-off kind of money.
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