There'll be no AMG variant of the new
E-Class Coupé when it takes to the showroom floors in June. Step in Brabus, the mentalist gaggle of Mercedes tuners whose sole aim is apparently to make gearbox manufacturers quiver. So, let's look how much torque Brabus's latest pet project has, shall we.
It's got 453lb.ft, which actually seems quite reserved. However, given that the E-Class Coupé seems to be aimed at the more, ahem, mature end of the market, it's probably a sensible move. And let's keep things in perspective - under the slightly beige exterior, it's still a Brabus.
At the core of the new Brabus model is the Mercedes E 500, but the standard 5.5-litre V8 block has been bored out to 6.1-litres; that's good for 456bhp, which is enough to facilitate a 196mph top speed and a more relevant 0-62mph sprint of just 4.7 seconds. A remapped ECU helps wring out that horsepower figure, as does a brand new high-performance exhaust system. That little lot is a snip at 29,000 Euros, which is about £26,000 in proper money, or the price of a
Ford Focus RS on top of an E 500. Hmm.
Spend a bit more and you can buy into the stuff that people on the street can see, like 20-inch alloys with a set of Pirelli or Yokohama elastic bands stretched over them (they're available in 17-, 18- and 19-inch diameters too) and a full Brabus body kit. That includes LED daytime running lights, front and rear spoilers with carbon inserts and side skirts that are available with an illuminated Brabus logo if you're into that sort of thing.
You might also want to make the brakes and suspension a bit better too. Six-piston aluminium callipers (four at the back) with cross-drilled discs can be yours, and if you like the idea of height adjustable sports suspension, that's doable too.
Meanwhile, the cockpit can be completely re-upholstered in Brabus-branded leather and Alcantara, with the wheel replaced for an 'ergonomically shaped' one - though in our experience the traditional circle tends to work just fine. As such, you might want to spend that money elsewhere, perhaps on something really cool and useful like backlit scuff plates..
Mark Nichol - 21 May 2009