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NEWS
GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: BRABUS busts out 800 ‘iBusiness'
Customising house rolls out the ultimate interpretation of Mercedes-Benz's G65 AMG all-terrainerGerman tuner BRABUS has never been the shy, retiring type, and this reputation will remain intact after the Geneva motor show, courtesy of the 800 ‘iBusiness’ – a fettled Mercedes G65 AMG that offers up supercar performance and a cabin that matches the comfort and mod-cons of flying Business Class in a commercial airliner.
As with any BRABUS vehicle, the makeover begins in the engine room, with the twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 gaining custom-made exhaust manifolds with integrated turbo housings and high-performance turbochargers.
Meanwhile, four water-to-air intercoolers located beneath the carbon-fibre bonnet scoop ensure lower charge-air temperatures.
BRABUS claims this benefits power delivery and durability even under extreme conditions such as, for example, in the desert – a vital point, given that many examples are likely to end up in the Middle East.
Spent gases exit via a BRABUS stainless-steel exhaust system with free-flow metal catalysts and sound management via a controlled butterfly valve, operated via a button on the steering wheel. This enables the V12 engine to whisper discreetly in “Coming Home” mode or trumpet its mega-horsepower credentials in the “Sport” position.
These tweaks have liberated a mammoth 588kW at 5500rpm, but the real kicker is the peak torque quota of 1420Nm, on tap from just 2100rpm. However, presumably to ensure the tyres don’t go up in smoke and that the transmission and differentials don’t end up a molten mass of metal, actual torque is limited to 1100Nm.
This enables the 800 iBusiness to sprint to 100km/h in just 4.2 seconds, while top speed is limited to 250km/h (BRABUS says the beefy off-roader would hit 270 kays without a limiter).
Visually, the big BRABUS stands out via its WIDESTAR body kit, featuring fender flares that increase width by 12cm, and BRABUS ‘Platinum Edition’ 23-inch forged wheels custom-developed for this model. Grip and handling further benefit from adjustable Bilstein suspension that’s lower and firmer than the standard set-up.
The cosmetic upgrades include stainless-steel scuff plates with a backlit BRABUS logo, high-quality velour floor mats and aluminium BRABUS pedals and door-lock pins.
Befitting its ‘iBusiness’ moniker, the latest BRABUS offers a raft of multimedia and connectivity features, enabling occupants to communicate with the entire world or enjoy multimedia content such as music, movies or games using an iPad mini, Mac mini, iPod touch and Apple TV.
The heart of the system, the Mac Mini computer, is housed together with the Apple TV module and the power amp in custom-designed consoles in the luggage compartment.
Passengers should arrive at their destination refreshed, as the production rear bench seat has been turfed in favour of individual seats that offer every conceivable creature comfort, including an integrated seat ventilation system.
A tailor-made BRABUS centre console was installed between the two rear seats, and extends all the way from the front seats to the upper edge of the rear seat backrests. The upper section features a refrigerator for refreshments, while the main part of the console houses numerous components of the “iBusiness” multimedia concept.
These include not only a folding and swiveling table for each rear seat, but also docking stations with built-in chargers for the iPad mini and the iPod touch, as well as space for the concealed storage of keyboard and mouse plus USB ports for connecting to the Mac Mini.
The cabin also looks suitably opulent, thanks to black quilted leather upholstery with red stitching, contrasting nicely with the alloy pedals and aluminium surfaces on the dash and centre console.
It’s all rather tasty – in a showy, excessive kind of way – but we wonder how many will actually end up going off-road (which, after all, is what the G-Class was designed for)?
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Written byGautam Sharma
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