Driver's Notebook: Brabus SV-12
October 1, 2003
Mercedes engineers also built another modified Pagoda that was less successful but more pulse-raising. They stuffed a 250-hp, 6.3-liter V-8 under the hood. Unfortunately, besides overwhelming the stopwatches (zero to 62 mph [100 kph] in 7 seconds), the big motor also overwhelmed the brakes and tires.
Neither of these cars has survived, but the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center did collaborate with Bohringer recently to re-create his rally winner. This car was a delight to drive over the twisting mountain roads of the Austrian Alps, displaying plenty of low-end power and a playful tail-out cornering attitude, to the accompaniment of the guttural bellow of its exhaust.
2003 BRABUS SV-12
•Engine: 6.3-liter, twin turbo, 36-valve V-12
•lPower: 640 hp
•Torque: 757 ft lbs at 1,750 rpm
•Transmission: modified Touch Shift 5-speed automatic
•Wheelbase: 100.8 inches
•Curb weight: 4,488 pounds
•Base Price: Approximately $225,000 for SL600 Roadster plus 6.3 SV-12 conversion ($51,635), brakes ($20,585), and other options including 20-inch wheels and tires, aero kit, and Brabus leather interior
Brabus North America Inc., 949.797.0177, www.brabus-usa.com
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