The Brabus 700 Widestar is the epitome of German off-roading engineering at work.
Last we heard from German tuning house Brabus was the Crossblade, a Smart Car that had been converted into a topless roadster. Besides tuning the engine to produce a stunning 70 horses (up from 61), Brabus also sheared off the roof and made the interior entirely waterproof. This allowed some enterprising French photographers to strip down to their skivvies and enjoy a very extreme car wash.
As fun as topless cars are, Brabus also enjoys getting down and dirty from time to time. So their next project was to take the Mercedes-AMG G63 and turn it into something just a little more rugged.
Enter the Brabus 700 Widestar. That 700 represents the new power produced from the G 63’s 4.0-L twin-turbo V8 engine--up from 577 hp. Torque is also boosted from 627 to 701 lb-ft, providing the Widestar with just a teensy bit more acceleration. They managed to cut the G 63’s 0-62 mph time down by one-tenth of a second from 4.4 to 4.3 seconds.
So you’ll probably not feel the extra power all that much, but nobody will complain about a car with more power.
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The Widestar retains the 9-speed automatic transmission of the G 63, but gives it a brand new active exhaust that both looks and sounds better than the original. A set of 23-inch Brabus Platinum Edition Monoblock hi-tech forged wheels now adorn each corner, while a new LED bar sits center stage on the roof.
Brabus also gave the Widestar an entirely new front and rear fascia, replacing the Merc target with their own “B” logo. Along with the new grille, both front and rear bumpers have been replaced. There’s also a new hood with some aggressive looking nostrils staring down at you.
On the inside, the Widestar gets a luxurious two-tone leather interior, a new steering wheel, and optional aluminum paddle shifters for that authentic F1 feel. Brabus can also customize the interior to any customer’s specifications, so if you want it all in carbon fiber or Alcantara, Brabus can probably make it happen.
Finally, a new widebody kit extends the Widestar by 4-inches on either side.
Brabus didn’t give us pricing or a release date, but you can bet it’ll be far more expensive than the G 63’s $150,000 price tag.