If a standard G 63 wasn’t already outrageous enough for you, Brabus has chopped off its roof, dialled the power up to 800 bhp and given it a rather spectacular 1000 Nm of torque. Say hello to the Brabus 800 Cabrio, it is based on the latest Mercedes-AMG G 63 and gets a completely reworked folding fabric roof. Brabus says more than 500 custom components were developed for the conversion, while high-strength steel has been added to maintain torsional rigidity close to that of the standard G 63.
The two-piece fabric roof can be opened or closed electrically in just 20 seconds and folds away behind the rear seats. It also gets a heated glass rear window, while a carbonfibre roof bow helps maintain the structure and reduce wind noise when the roof is up.
Then there’s the engine. The standard G 63’s 4-litre twin-turbo V8 already makes 585 bhp, but Brabus clearly thought that wasn’t quite enough. Its PowerXtra B40S-800 package takes output to 800 bhp and 1000 Nm, courtesy of bigger turbos and an ECU tune. Power is sent to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic gearbox.. Despite being a large, heavy and now roofless SUV, the Brabus 800 Cabrio can sprint from 0 to 100 kph in just four seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 240 kph. There’s also a valve-controlled sports exhaust. And then there’s the styling. Brabus fits its Widestar widebody kit, along with plenty of exposed carbonfibre elements and massive 24-inch Monoblock ZM forged wheels that engulf 295/30 section tyres at the front and a rather ridiculous 345/25 section rubber at the rear.
The cabin gets the full Brabus treatment as well. The ‘Masterpiece’ interior features extensive leather upholstery, carbonfibre trim and plenty of scope for personalisation. As with most Brabus creations, the idea is that no two cars necessarily need to look the same.
If the regular 800 Cabrio isn’t quite excessive enough, there’s also the Brabus XL 800 Cabrio. It gets portal axles that increase ground clearance to 480 mm, or 18.9 inches. It retains the same 800 bhp and 1000 Nm, but takes 4.6 seconds to reach 100 kph and has a lower 210 kph top whack. This one is clearly designed with more serious off-road ambitions in mind.
Brabus will build just 50 examples of the 800 Cabrio worldwide. There’s no price mentioned yet, but given the amount of bespoke engineering and hand-finished luxury involved, this is hardly going to be an impulse purchase. But then, the G-Class has never really been about sensible decisions. And a roofless, 800bhp G-Wagen with 24-inch wheels might just be the most Brabus SUV Brabus has built yet.
