In the United States, $1.4 million opens the door to serious performance machinery. Or, to be precise, $1,387,081. That sum can secure the keys to some of the quickest hybrid supercars on the planet, or even several high-performance American alternatives. Or it can buy something far less conventional: a Brabus Rocket GTS.
This particular car is listed for sale by Brabus USA itself and is described as one of the first examples to touch down in the country, possibly the very first. It has been about 18 months since Brabus unveiled its rather curious two-door Shooting Brake take on the SL 63, and this example pushes the concept further.
Visually, it is difficult to confuse with anything else. The original show car wore traditional exposed carbon fiber. This Rocket GTS instead coats the entire carbon body in green. Not green paint over steel or aluminum, but green carbon fiber. And under direct lighting, the finish appears quite dramatic, which may become overwhelming for buyers, especially when it is paired with the updated rear and extended roofline that highlight its Shooting Brake silhouette. Still, the treatment follows through consistently.
Moving inside, the cabin complements the exterior with the same theme. There`s green leather and green Alcantara cover on the door panels, headliner, floor mats, seats, and transmission tunnel. The few elements not wrapped in leather or Alcantara are finished in matching green carbon fiber. It is cohesive to the point of excess, though that seems to be the intention.
The hardware backing up the visual statement is just as assertive. The Rocket GTS, which is featured in the media gallery below, has an upgraded V8 twin-turbo 4.5-liter engine, to which a plug-in hybrid system is attached, that was also present in the original SL 63 E Performance. This translates to an astronomical power of 986 horsepower and 1620 Nm of torque.
This allows for a 60 mph run in just 2.6 seconds, while the quarter-mile is done in 9.5 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited at 317 km/h.
When this price level is achieved, comparisons cannot help but be made and may be unwarranted. The only thing that is definite is that this Rocket GTS is hypercar money, it does not look like anything on the road, and it has numbers that can put it squarely in that performance discussion. How green you desire your garage to be determines whether it makes it irresistible or incredibly likely.
Brabus Rocket GTS – Photo Gallery
