GENEVA — Who ever heard of a Mercedes-Benz C-Class hat could jet from zero to 60 mph in less than 3.9 seconds and reach a terminal velocity of 225 mph? Don't tell Brabus it can't be done; witness the new Bullit Black Arrow, which boasts those performance specs and more, thanks to the SV12 S biturbo V12 stuffed under the hood.
The Black Arrow's engine delivers a mind-numbing 720 horsepower and 974 pound-feet of torque. Small wonder the Bottrop tuner calls this beauty the "stealth super sports car."
Stealth? That's because it's covered with a matte black paint scheme. And who would guess than you could cram a 12-cylinder power plant into the engine bay of a C-Class?
Brabus starts with the 5.5-liter V12 from the big S600 sedan and, operating under the philosophy that "nothing beats displacement except even more displacement," bores and strokes the engine to 6.3 liters. It fits larger turbos and intercoolers, new manifolds, remapped electronics, a new stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system and other essential hardware.
A reinforced five-speed automatic gearbox and a limited-slip differential enable most of that power to reach the rear wheels. The Bullit also features the usual electronic systems, from ABS and ASR to ESP.
Despite the black paint, the Bullit doesn't look that subtle on second glance — not with those massive air intakes in the carbon-fiber front apron, or the three-piece rear spoiler and carbon-fiber rear apron with integrated diffuser. Aluminum wheel arches, a gilled hood and rocker panels with integrated entry lights are complemented by matte-black Monoblock S alloy wheels shod with 265/30ZR19 rubber in front and 285/30ZR19 in the rear.
High-performance brakes and a height-adjustable coil-over suspension with gas-pressure shocks provide additional high-speed stability.
If you have to ask, this one's just a tad more expensive than your garden-variety C-Class. The Bullit Black Arrow is available in limited quantities, for a cool $690,000 per copy.
What this means to you: You could buy more than half a Veyron for the same money. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
The Black Arrow's engine delivers a mind-numbing 720 horsepower and 974 pound-feet of torque. Small wonder the Bottrop tuner calls this beauty the "stealth super sports car."
Stealth? That's because it's covered with a matte black paint scheme. And who would guess than you could cram a 12-cylinder power plant into the engine bay of a C-Class?
Brabus starts with the 5.5-liter V12 from the big S600 sedan and, operating under the philosophy that "nothing beats displacement except even more displacement," bores and strokes the engine to 6.3 liters. It fits larger turbos and intercoolers, new manifolds, remapped electronics, a new stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system and other essential hardware.
A reinforced five-speed automatic gearbox and a limited-slip differential enable most of that power to reach the rear wheels. The Bullit also features the usual electronic systems, from ABS and ASR to ESP.
Despite the black paint, the Bullit doesn't look that subtle on second glance — not with those massive air intakes in the carbon-fiber front apron, or the three-piece rear spoiler and carbon-fiber rear apron with integrated diffuser. Aluminum wheel arches, a gilled hood and rocker panels with integrated entry lights are complemented by matte-black Monoblock S alloy wheels shod with 265/30ZR19 rubber in front and 285/30ZR19 in the rear.
High-performance brakes and a height-adjustable coil-over suspension with gas-pressure shocks provide additional high-speed stability.
If you have to ask, this one's just a tad more expensive than your garden-variety C-Class. The Bullit Black Arrow is available in limited quantities, for a cool $690,000 per copy.
What this means to you: You could buy more than half a Veyron for the same money. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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