You know the electric revolution in the auto industry is looking more and more like a real thing when aftermarket tuners, usually the last defenders of traditional gas-powered engines, start to slowly embrace the prospect of tuning electric cars. Brabus isn’t quite there yet, but one of its offerings for the Frankfurt Motor Show points exactly to that kind of future. The model is called the Brabus Ultimate E Concept, and while it does take its roots from the smart ForTwo, this creation is more about what the tuner can do moving forward more than it is a showcase of smart’s expanding portfolio.

To be fair, there are a number of interesting items in the Ultimate E Concept. It’s all dressed up in a swath of fancy aero bits, making it look a lot more dynamic than a run-of-the-mill ForTwo. It even has an eye-catching yellow paint that a Mercedes-AMG GT R would be proud to wear. The real highlight of the concept though is its drivetrain. Don’t go looking for a combustion engine in there because it’s long gone. In its place is a full electric powertrain that Brabus developed in collaboration with Kreisel Electric. The result is a car that can produce 201 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, making it one of the most powerful versions of the smart ForTwo in the world. For a car that’s never been considered exciting, the Brabus’ Ultimate E Concept looks to be one way to inject some life into the little ride.

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Is this a sign of things to come for Brabus?

The thought of a tuner developing a program for an electric car isn’t entirely new. I’ve personally seen a few Teslas out there sporting aftermarket aero bits. But the project of turning a traditional car with a traditional gas-powered engine and then replacing said engine with an electric motor is pretty new in the tuning circles.

That’s one of the appeals of the Brabus Ultimate E Concept and as far as first impressions go, the result is very promising. I especially like how the tuner was able to get the city car’s output up to 200 horsepower. It’s not much by regular car standards, but it is significant for a car like the ForTwo. Remember, the city car itself weighs just 2,392 pounds and with an output of 201 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, those numbers translate to an acceleration time from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds. That’s the same number as most of today’s entry-level sports cars and close enough to some mid-tier coupes are capable of. The 112-mph top speed is a little bit of a bubble burster, but again, it’s hard to imagine this car maintaining its controllability if it goes way above its performance means.

There’s a lot more to learn about the Brabus Ultimate E Concept. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait too long to get all the juicy bits as the car itself is headed to the Frankfurt Motor Show. Chief among our need-to-know requirements is whether the tuner plans to actually make a production model out of the concept. It has said that it’s currently performing road tests with the concept and that if it gets a positive enough reaction in Frankfurt to justify a limited production run, it’s an option the tuner is more than willing to consider.

References

Smart ForTwo

Read our full review on the Smart ForTwo.

Smart ForTwo Electric Drive

Read our full review on the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive.