Brabus has taken the time to work over the new
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe in the company's trademark over-the-top style. The result is the Brabus Bullit Coupe, which is headed for a debut at the
Geneva Motor Show this week, complete with an 800-horsepower version of the same V12 found under the hood of the
Mercedes-Benz S-Class. That kind of craziness is so beautiful, it almost brings a tear to our eye.
The engineers at Brabus bored out the block to 6.3 liters of
displacement, up from 5.5 liters in factory form. Throw in a pair of
turbos and you have a vehicle capable of dumping a staggering 1,047
pound-feet of torque on the rear tires.
Or at least you would if Brabus didn't have to electronically limit
final output to 811 lb-ft of torque. The company says there simply isn't
a transmission out there capable of standing up to that kind of twist.
Even with the limited grunt, the Bullit Coupe can pop off a 0-62 mph run
in 3.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 229 mph. Pure brilliance.
Ultra-powerful, ultrafast and conspicuously inconspicuous: the BRABUS
BULLIT Coupe 800, which celebrates its world debut at the 2012 Geneva
Motor Show, is built in small-series production based on the two-door
Mercedes C 63 AMG model. In place of the 6.3-liter fast-revving V8 that
powers the production car, a twelve-cylinder engine in BRABUS 800 V12
Biturbo specification lurks beneath the matte-black exterior. 800 hp
(788 bhp) / 588 kW and a peak torque of 1,420 Nm (1,047 lb-ft) propel
the BULLIT Coupe 800 to superlative performance: 3.7 seconds to 100 km/h
(62 mph), 23.8 seconds from 0 - 300 km/h (186 mph) and a top speed in
excess of 370 km/h (230 mph) document the unique know-how of the
engineers from BRABUS. BRABUS went into the wind tunnel to engineer the
aerodynamic-enhancement components that are part of the equipment of
this supercar, as are new 20-inch BRABUS Monoblock R wheels, a sport
suspension with customer-selectable ride height and damper rates, a
high-performance brake system and exclusive cockpit design. The supercar
will sell for an MSRP starting at EUR 378,000. It goes without saying
that this car can also be built based on the Black Series C 63 AMG
Coupe.
The BRABUS BULLIT Coupe 800 seamlessly continues the tradition of
high-performance supercars from Bottrop. Following in the footsteps of
the BRABUS BULLIT supercars based on the Mercedes C-Class sedan, which
each produced 730 hp (720 bhp) / 537 kW and reached top speeds in excess
of 360 km/h (224 mph), the even more powerful BRABUS BULLIT Coupe 800
has now been developed based on the new C-Class Coupe.
Numerous modifications to the reinforced C-Class body were necessary
to implant the turbocharged V12 into the engine bay. The BRABUS 800 V12
Biturbo engine is derived directly from the BRABUS E V12 one of ten. For
this purpose an up-to-date Mercedes S 600 engine Motor is completely
reengineered in the company engine building shop.
There is nothing to take the place of displacement except more
displacement and for that reason displacement of the 12-cylinder,
three-valve engine is increased from 5.5 to 6.3 liters (336 to 384 cu.
in.) with the help of a special crankshaft with longer stroke, larger,
forged pistons and an increase in cylinder bore across the board. Intake
and outlet ports of both cylinder heads are optimized for mixture flow,
and fitted with sports camshafts.
The engine peripherals were also completely reworked completely. The
inlet side features a newly designed, larger header casing that gets its
combustion air from carbon-fiber ram-air intake system integrated into
the hood.
To achieve the desired power increase of almost 300 hp over the
production engine, the exhaust side had to be newly configured as well.
The BRABUS 800 Biturbo system comprises two special exhaust manifolds
with integrated high-performance turbochargers, and four water-to-air
intercoolers. The stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system with
free-flow metal catalysts and driver-controlled butterfly valve also was
created specifically for the C-Class Coupe floorpan.
State-of-the-art engine BRABUS test benches were used by the engineers
for designing new mapping for engine electronics and on-board
diagnostics. The result is maximum power yield while meeting strict
current EURO V emission standards.
The BRABUS 800 V12 Biturbo high-capacity engine, which like all BRABUS
high-performance engines is lubricated exclusively with MOTUL synthetic
motor oil, produces 800 PS (788 bhp) / 588 kW at 5,500 rpm. The peak
torque of 1,420 Nm (1,047 lb-ft) is limited electronically in the car to
1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft).
Power is transferred to the rear wheels via an appropriately
reinforced seven-speed automatic transmission, which is shifted either
automatically or manually via shift paddles on the steering wheel, and a
BRABUS limited-slip rear differential with a locking rate of 40
percent. The BRABUS BULLIT Coupe 800 features all state-of-the-art
driving dynamics systems such as ABS, ASR and ESP.
The matte-black stealth coupe delivers unrivaled performance: in a
catapult start just 3.7 seconds pass from 0-100 km/h (62 mph), 9.8
seconds to 200 km/h (124 mph). The 300-km/h (186-mph) barrier is
shattered after 23.8 seconds. Top speed is more than 370 km/h (230 mph).
To be able to attain such extreme speeds while maintaining outstanding
directional stability, the aerodynamic properties of the two-door car
were modified extensively in the wind tunnel. The supplemental
carbon-fiber BRABUS front spoiler reduces lift on the front axle at high
speeds. The carbon-fiber lightweight air routers for the air inlets in
the front fascia go beyond optimizing the supply of cooling air for
radiators and front brakes. These lateral air vents also allow the air
streaming through the radiators to exit again as quickly as possible.
Another significant contribution to the heat exchange in the engine bay
is made by the BRABUS air vents integrated into the front fenders behind
the wheel wells.
The BRABUS designers have developed an aerodynamically effective
combination of rear wing and diffuser insert for the rear fascia in
order to generate more downforce on the rear axle. This carbon-fiber
component has cutouts on the right and left side for the dual
ceramics-plated design tailpipes of the BRABUS stainless-steel
high-performance exhaust system.
The thrilling looks of the BRABUS BULLIT Coupe 800 is rounded out by
the new BRABUS Monoblock R wheels. They represent a fresh approach with
their unique design that features two times five double spokes arranged
on two different plains. While the posterior plain has a titanium paint
finish, the anterior surfaces are polished and coated with a
smoke-colored clear lacquer, which lends the wheel a highly individual
character. In sizes 8.5Jx20 in front and 9.5Jx20 on the rear axle the
BRABUS Monoblock R wheels make perfect use of the available space in the
wheel wells. The high-performance tires in sizes 235/30 ZR 20 and
275/25 ZR 20 are supplied by technology partners Continental, Pirelli or
YOKOHAMA.
The height-adjustable coilover suspension was custom developed for the
BRABUS BULLIT Coupe 800 in cooperation with technology partner
BILSTEIN. It features gas-pressure shocks on front and rear axle with
ten selectable settings each for bound and rebound for a sporty yet
comfortable ride. Sport sway bars reduce body roll during fast cornering
to a minimum.
The BRABUS high-performance brake system consists of vented and
grooved steel brake discs that measure 380 x 37 millimeters (15.0 x 1.45
in.) and 12-piston aluminum fixed calipers in the front. In combination
with vented and grooved steel discs measuring 360 x 28 millimeters
(14.2 x 1.1 in.) and six-piston fixed aluminum calipers on the rear axle
it easily masters even highest brake loads.
The cockpit of the supercar has a distinctly sporty design. The
interior was clad by the BRABUS master craftsmen in the upholstery shop
in a combination of black leather and Alcantara to match the outer skin.
Red contrasting seams add discrete sporty highlights. This look is
rounded out by genuine carbon-fiber components on the dashboard, center
console and door trim. Further sporty features are the ergonomically
shaped BRABUS sport steering wheel as well as aluminum pedals and
shifter.
