It's not the 1990s, but these three-spoke wheels look absolutely fantastic.
Usually, the reveal of a new Brabus-tuned build is an occasion to be met with disdain, but not in the case of its latest offering, dubbed the 750 Bodo Buschmann Edition. Based on the Mercedes-AMG SL63, the 25-unit special edition pays tribute to the tuning outfit's founder, Bodo Buschmann. He started Brabus in 1977 and always had a particular love for the SL Roadster of the 1990s, so creating a car with his name had to be based on something similar.
As he would have specced it, the car is powerful, fast, and black. Its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 has been boosted to 750 metric horsepower (740 bhp) with torque reaching 663 lb-ft, enabling a 0-62 mph time of just 3.3 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 196 mph.
Maximum power arrives at 6,100 rpm, and maximum torque is available from 4,000 rpm. The increased performance comes courtesy of larger turbochargers, reprogrammed boost pressure controls, and on-the-road tuning to perfect injection and ignition profiles that are stored on the plug-and-play Brabus PowerXtra module. The tuner has also fitted a new exhaust system with four tips in either carbon or titanium, and this still enables active valve control. To ensure peace of mind, a three-year/62,000-mile tuning warranty is included.
But that's not as exciting as the styling, which includes a gorgeously retro set of three-spoke wheels. It also includes some body add-ons that have been developed in the wind tunnel, and they're surprisingly subtle, given what the tuner has done in the past.
The wheels are inspired by those Brabus offered in the late Eighties and are called the Brabus Monoblock II evo Platinum Edition. These are painted Shadow Gray and measure 21 inches in diameter up front and 22 inches at the rear, with sports springs lowering the car by an inch.
At the front, a new spoiler with raised ends helps to route air past the front wheel wells and surrounds for the intakes add more menace. All of these components are made from carbon fiber, and so are the fender accents, the diffuser insert, and the trunk spoiler. To ensure the brightwork does not clash, all the plastic elements on the exterior have been painted gloss black.
Inside, quilted leather covers the seats and center console with “77” logos calling to mind the tuner's founding date. Carbon fiber jazzes up the steering wheel, center console, door cards, pedal pads, and backlit scuff plates that change color in sync with the ambient lighting system. The trim elements are also painted to match the wheels.
As for cost, each of the 25 examples will be sold for €336,500, or just under $370,000. Think that's pricey? Wait until you see what Brabus charges to customize a Porsche 911 Turbo S. Still, it's rare that Brabus provides the most tasteful tuning package for a particular car, and for that, it deserves at least some praise. After all, we still have Manhart to hate on.
Oh, and if you're wondering why there's no hood on this car in some shots, it's because Brabus recreated an iconic photo set from the 90s in which Bodo Buschmann left the hood off a Brabus project when he took it for a drive.
Keyword: Brabus 750 Bodo Buschmann Edition Is A Mercedes-AMG SL 63 With Three-Spoke Wheels