Photography By Patrick C. Paternie
Brabus 6.1
April 1, 2006
I’ll admit to being a bit leery the first time I sat in the passenger seat
of the Brabus 6.1 UTV, or Urban Tactical Vehicle, especially after spying the
row of red toggle switches tucked under the center armrest. This heavily
modified 2002 S-Class sedan carries enough high-tech security and survival gear
to have been customized by James Bond’s gadget master Q instead of the world’s
über Mercedes-Benz tuner.
My apprehension faded, however, once I
was assured that none of the switches operated an ejector seat. Closer
inspection revealed that the objects lurking in the bumpers were not machine
guns, but laser detectors and a camera in the rear. Also visible just below the
rear bumper are dispensers for the oil slick and smoke screen, should tailgaters
have more sinister intentions than not being late to work. Who would neglect to
equip their UTV with these two important active safety devices?
Which begs the bigger question: Why would anyone need a UTV in the first
place? Is life in the new millennium so difficult that we have a practical need
to outfit a car like a British secret agent’s Aston Martin DB5? The Brabus on
these pages was a special commission, but now that he has driven the finished
product, Brabus North America president Steven Beaty does not deny that a niche
market exists for the UTV. “The UTV appeals to individuals who demand luxury
transportation that not only includes comfort and enhanced performance, but also
tactical features,” he says.
Those features include defensive, evasive, and what Beaty calls “preemptive
danger subsystems for unexpected emergencies such as armed carjacking,
high-speed chases, random violence, natural disasters, and surveillance.”
The UTV’s owner, a Russian-American venture capitalist who has occasion to
interact with some of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful individuals,
explains that his training in self-defense and law enforcement provided the
inspiration for the car’s creation.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The “6.1” badge on the trunk along with four tailpipes. (Click image
to enlarge)
“I wanted to create a paradigm to fit my lifestyle,” says the man we will
call “Yuri.” “I like Mercedes-Benz and the excellent brand image and execution
that Bodo Buschmann has built at Brabus over the years. Building a Hummer like
this is one thing, but I wanted high-quality luxury.”
Yuri says that the freeway shootings and police pursuits that dominate news
coverage where he lives in Southern California did not motivate him to
commission the UTV. Rather, it was his training under Alon Stivi, who, in
addition to being a martial artist, is also an internationally renowned expert
in security and counterterrorism techniques.
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