10 most important moments in Brabus history

There is probably no self-respecting Mercedes fan who hasn't heard of Brabus, the German tuning company that over the past 40 years has grown from an engine tuning company to the largest independent car tuner in the world.

The history of Brabus begins with Bodo Buschman, the son of the owner of a Mercedes dealership in the small town of Bottrop, Germany. Being the son of his father, Bodo was supposed to drive a Mercedes as a car dealership advertisement. Like any young car enthusiast, Bodo wanted a lot of power and sporty handling from his car - something that Mercedes models at that time could not offer. Bodo solves the problem by ditching the Mercedes and buying a Porsche. However, soon after, under pressure from his father, Bodo was forced to sell Porsche and return to the S-Class. Fortunately, this does not stop him from dreaming about driving a car that combines luxury and power.

Frustrated by the lack of tuning for the S-Class, Bodo decided to take advantage of its location in the heart of industrial Germany and set up his own tuning company. To that end, Bodo hired neighboring auto parts manufacturers as subcontractors and began converting the S-Class models into an off-duty showroom section of his father's. Inquiries soon began to come in about whether the sporty S-Class Bodo was up for sale, resulting in Brabus.

In the next gallery, we have prepared interesting moments from the history of Brabus, which, according to many, remains one of the craziest and at the same time the most reserved tuning companies in history.

Origin of the name Brabus

At the time, German law required at least two people to open a company, and Bodo collaborated with Klaus Brackmann, his university friend. In the name of the company, the two combined the first three letters of their names and, rejecting Busbra, chose Brabus. Just a day after the founding of the company, Klaus resigned and sold his stake to Baud for 100 euros, ending his participation in the development of Brabus.

Brabus is the first company to place a TV in the 500 SEC

The year is only 1983 and Brabus is gaining popularity with their modified S-Class models. Although the company was founded on the basis of technical improvements, at the special request of a client in the Middle East, Brabus became the first tuner to install a TV in the top-of-the-line Mercedes 500 SEC. The system was the latest technology of its time and could even play videotapes.

The car that made Brabus famous

Although the first car Brabus worked on was the S-Class, the car that made them players in the global tuning scene was the E-Class. Interestingly, under the hood is the huge V12 engine from the S600, and if that's not enough, it also has two turbochargers that help the E V12's top speed to reach 330 km / h.This is the top speed the best tires of the time can safely reach. ... The E V12 also holds the record for fastest four-door sedan.

Need for speed Brabus

The record for the fastest sedan was not only set by Brabus, but also improved several times by newer models of the tuning company. Brabus currently holds not only the record for the fastest production sedan (Brabus Rocket 800, 370 km / h), but also the record for the highest speed recorded on the Nardo test track (Brabus SV12 S Biturbo, 330,6 km / h). Currently, the top-end modification is called the Brabus Rocket 900 and, as the name suggests, develops 900 hp. from its V12 engine.

Friendly competition between Brabus and AMG

The creation of Brabus AMG is also in its infancy, and the competition between the two companies is only a matter of time. However, the move from AMG to Mercedes helped Brabus a lot, not supplanted them. While AMG must always obey the leadership of Mercedes, Brabus has complete freedom to change their cars. It's no secret that most of the Mercedes that go through Brabus today are AMG models.

The most successful Brabus - Smart

Sedans with more than 800 hp. and passenger TVs may have made Brabus famous, but the company's most lucrative development is actually based on Smart. So many of the recently sold Smarts go through the hands of Brabus that they are being prepared at the Mercedes plant for the new bumpers and interiors supplied by the tuners from Bottrop. The smart improvement business is so lucrative that the small car conversion facility is the largest building at Brabus headquarters.

Replacing the engine with Brabus goes away

After the successful introduction of the V12 under the hood of the E-Class, taking the engine from a larger Mercedes and fitting it to a smaller one became the main focus of Brabus. For example, this is another very popular Brabus model, namely the 190 E with a six-cylinder engine from the S-class. Brabus has made extensive use of the latest S-Class V12 engines in recent years, but after Mercedes halted production, Brabus is re-focusing on strengthening car engines rather than replacing them.

Brabus was the official tuner of Bugatti

In addition to Mercedes, Brabus has taken over models from other brands, and perhaps the most interesting is the German tuning company's game with Bugatti. The Bugatti EB 110 Brabus, produced in just two copies, is one of the rarest historical supercars. Four exhaust pipes, a few Brabus decals and blue upholstery are the only upgrades on the Bugatti. The engine is a flawless 3,5-liter V12 with four turbochargers and more than 600 hp.

The headquarters of the company is located right on the highway

Today, Brabus is one of the largest tuning centers, and their headquarters is located in an area large enough for a small business. In the big white buildings of Brabus, in addition to a huge service dedicated to the creation of Brabus models, there is also a center for the study of new technologies, a showroom and a huge parking lot. It features both finished Brabus models waiting for their owner and Mercedes waiting for their turn to transform.

Brabus founded an organization to uphold tuning car standards

In the world of car modification, every tuning company has its own manufacturing and quality standards. The reputation of each company is based on providing quality service, and for this reason Brabus has established an association of German tuners with the aim of raising the overall level of quality in this rapidly developing industry. Bodo himself was appointed director, who, with his perfectionism, raised the requirements for car modifications to the level that is now considered the norm.