Driver's Notebook: Brabus SV-12
October 1, 2003
How fast the SV-12 SL can go is anyone’s guess as Gauffres warns that despite the 360 mark on the speedo, current tire technology forces Brabus to electronically limit top speed to about 310 kph (192 mph). “The tire industry slept a bit too long and didn’t see the trend in high horsepower that was developing,” says Gauffres. “They have been working very hard within the last year to catch up.”
Gauffres, whose daily driver is a 6.1-liter, 425-hp E-Class, admits to being a torque junkie who prefers the “character” of a normally aspirated engine. “You feel more,” he said with a grin. “There is better throttle response.” Nevertheless, the decision to go with the bi-turbo V-12 was in response to customers who preferred an engine much smoother in operation than last year’s K8, the Brabus version of the factory-supercharged SL55. The K8 produces 550 hp and 576 ft lbs of torque for a zero-to-62 mph time of 4.3 seconds with top speed of 190 mph—again limited by tires. Although we felt it was very entertaining to drive—much like a Teutonic version of an American muscle car—the K8 was a bit too aggressive in demeanor for some Brabus clients. “You can hear every cylinder working in the K8,” says Sven Gramm, Brabus’ head of public relations. “It is very powerful, but not smooth. The V-12 bi-turbo is not as sporty-feeling but is actually faster.”
advertisement
