As a world debut at the IAA 2003 in Frankfurt, the BRABUS E V12 celebrates its world premiere at the most important car show of the year. This high-performance sedan is powered by a 12-cylinder biturbo engine with 640 hp (471 kW). With its electronically limited top speed of 340 km/h it is among the world’s fastest automobiles. In fall of 2003 Brabus will start a small-series production run of the four-seater based on the current Mercedes E-Class of the W 211 model series.
The new Brabus E V12 follows in the footsteps of its legendary predecessor which opened the door to a new level of power and performance for sporty sedans: The first Brabus E V12 – based on the E-Class of the W 210 model series – gained entry into in the Guinness Book of World Records as the ‘fastest sedan in the world’ in October of 1996. Its top speed was 330 km/h.
765 ft lbs of Torque
The BRABUS E V12 of the model year 2004 is powered by the Brabus SV 12 Biturbo increased-displacement engine, which is implanted with almost surgical precision into the modified engine bay of the E-Class.
The displacement of the 12-cylinder biturbo engine, which normally resides in a current Mercedes S600 model, is increased from 5.5 to 6.3 liters. The increase is facilitated with the installation of a custom-designed one-piece crankshaft, larger diameter pistons, corresponding larger bore and precision-balanced piston rods. The BRABUS engine is further fitted with sport camshafts, precision-machined cylinder heads, a stainless-steel high-performance sport exhaust system with metal catalysts and four exhaust tips as well as newly programmed engine electronics.
With these modifications the engine of the BRABUS E V12 delivers a whopping 640 hp (471 kW) at 5,100 rpm and an even more impressive peak torque of 765 ft lbs (1026 Nm) available from just 1,750 rpm.
Thus equipped the new BRABUS E V12 delivers performance that places the sedan on a level with the world’s fastest sports cars: 4.2 seconds for 0 to 100 km/h, 12.9 seconds for 0 to 200 km/h and an electronically limited top speed of 340 km/h are the performance cornerstones of this exclusive high-performance sedan.
Chassis
The immense performance also necessitates the use of special tires: Brabus technology partner Michelin supplies the exclusive tires for this car: The multi-piece Brabus Monoblock VI light-alloy wheels in size 8.5Jx19 on the front axle and 9.5Jx19 in back are mounted with Michelin high-performance tires in size 255/35 ZR 19 in front in combination with size 285/30 ZR 19 on the rear axle.
The air-sprung suspension of the Brabus E V12 offers a sporty yet comfortable ride. The ride height is lowered by some 20 millimeters compared to the stock car. Brabus sport sway bars contribute to the sporty handling with large safety reserves and high ride comfort.
Brabus equips the new E V12 with a custom high-performance brake system. The system is calibrated to match the electro-hydraulic SBC brake system of the E-Class and consists of 375-mm ceramic discs and 12-piston aluminum calipers on the front axle and 6-piston calipers and 355-mm vented and cross-drilled steel discs in the rear.
Body / Interior
Aerodynamics play an essential role at the extremely high speeds so effortlessly attained by the new Brabus E V12. That’s why Brabus conducted extensive wind tunnel testing with the E V12: The brabus front bumper with integrated spoiler and additional carbon lip looks absolutely striking. But that’s not all – it also reduces lift on the front axle thus improving directional stability at high speeds. Its aerodynamic counterpart in the rear is the custom-developed Brabus spoiler lip for the trunk lid, which produces downforce at high speeds.
Brabus side sills give the exclusive sedan a longer, sleeker appearance. They also offer another interesting feature: Pushing a button on the keyless-entry remote or pulling on the door handles activates entrance lights integrated into the underside of the sills. They illuminate the ground next to the vehicle, making entering an exiting the car safer.
The strikingly styled Brabus rear apron rounds out the sporty yet elegant body design of the E V12 harmoniously.
A special ambiance is found in the cockpit of the E V12: The four-door comes equipped with an exclusive fully leather interior crafted from a combination of especially soft yet durable Brabus Mastik leather and Alcantara.
In Detail
| price $ | $330 000 USD |
| engine | BiTurbo V8 |
| position | Front Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Supercharged and Intercooled |
| valvetrain | SOHC, 3 Valves per Cyl |
| displacement | 6300 cc / 384.4 in³ |
| power | 477.3 kw / 640 bhp @ 5100 rpm |
| specific output | 101.59 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 348.77 bhp per tonne |
| torque | 1026 nm / 756.7 ft lbs @ 1750 rpm |
| body / frame | Unit Steel |
| driven wheels | RWD |
| front tires | 255/35 ZR 19 |
| rear tires | 285/30 ZR 19 |
| front brakes | Ceramic Discs w/12-Piston Calipers, ABS, Power Assist, SBC, ESP |
| f brake size | x 375 mm / x 14.8 in |
| rear brakes | Vented & Cross-Drilled Discs w/6-Piston Calipers, ABS, Power Assist, SBC, ESP |
| r brake size | x 355 mm / x 14.0 in |
| front wheels | F 48.3 x 21.6 cm / 19.0 x 8.5 in |
| rear wheels | R 48.3 x 24.1 cm / 19 x 9.5 in |
| steering | Steeing w/Speed Senitive Power Asisst |
| f suspension | Four-Link, Multi-Link w/Active Air Suspension Unit |
| r suspension | Multi-Link w/Active Air Suspension Unit |
| curb weight | 1835 kg / 4045 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2854 mm / 112.4 in |
| front track | 1583 mm / 62.3 in |
| rear track | 1551 mm / 61.1 in |
| length | 4849 mm / 190.9 in |
| width | 1822 mm / 71.7 in |
| height | 1295 mm / 51.0 in |
| transmission | 5-Speed Auto w/SpeedShift |
| gear ratios | 3.59:1, 2.19:1, 1.41:1, 1.00:1, 0.83:1, :1 |
| top speed | ~340 kph / 211.3 mph |
| 0 – 60 mph | ~4.1 seconds |
Keyword: 2003 Brabus E V12