Like ABT is to Audi, Brabus is to Mercedes. These are the tuners that come to mind when you talk about the respective brands. Brabus is here with another creation called the Rocket 900 “One of Ten” that’s based on the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S. The Brabus model comes with changes inside and out, but the biggest changes have happened under the hood. The car didn’t just receive some extra horses and torque; Brabus also increased the displacement of the V-8 powerhouse. The car is super-exclusive and only 10 examples of it will be built.

What’s Different On The Outside?

The emphasis might be on what’s under the hood, but there are numerous changes on the outside as well. For starters, the car has been painted in Stealth Grey shade. All the chrome bits have been dipped in black paint as well to reduce the bling and add to the sporty factor. A wide-body kit made of carbon is in place as well. Up front, a spoiler finished in glossy carbon fiber is present that not only adds to the aesthetics, but also the performance. A RamAir intake for the engine to breathe can be seen as well, again, finished in the same glossy carbon fiber.

The front wheels measure 21 inches and are wrapped in 275/35 section Pirelli P-Zero tires. The rear set measures 22 inches and is covered in wide, low-profile 335/25 section Pirelli P-Zero tires. These tires are specially developed for the Rocket 900. Given the dimensions of the wheels and tires, Brabus had to make changes to the fenders and wheel arches as well. So, the tuner installed sweeping, wider fender flares on all four corners made of carbon fiber. A Kevlar cover for the wheel arch panel is also installed.

Things at the back are interesting as well. Brabus has equipped a carbon fiber diffuser and spoiler with a glossy finish. This complements the bodywork done on both the rear panels. The flared fenders at the rear add 3.1 inches to the width of the standard GT 63. Even the rear bumper and the wing mirror covers come with the same finish as the other carbon fiber add-ons. The Brabus logo can be seen on the radiator grille.

Opt for the Rocket launch light package and the logo will be illuminated. I wonder if that will be offered in the European markets given that the illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy emblem on Rolls-Royce models was asked to be withdrawn from the cars since it didn’t comply with the European Union’s light pollution regulations. We’ll have to wait and watch.

Brabus Rocket 900 "One of Ten" exterior dimensions

Interior Hasn’t Been Ignored

With customized vehicles, the general trend is to make changes either only to the exterior, or the interior, or under the hood. The Brabus Rocket 900 is one of the very few products seen in recent times wherein the company has paid enough attention to all three departments. I stress on this explicitly because the Brabus Rocket 900 comes with 215 different parts inside the cabin!

The car can be customized as per your tastes before you take the delivery. The ‘Masterpiece’ leather interior grey seams on the black leather and Alcantara upholstery. Brabus logo seals are present on the headrest. The seat surfaces and inner sections of the door panels feature a quilted "Crest" coat. The same is seen on the additional perforations and the gray backing of the leather in other places.

The center console, dashboard, steering wheel, floor mats, and boot mats are finished in leather, with the latter featuring the Brabus logo. The headliner, sun-visors, and the A-, B- and C- pillars, on the other hand, are wrapped in Alcantara. To wrap it all off, the door sills come with an illuminated Brabus logo, the color of which can be changed manually. If your heart wants to spend some more money, you can opt for the Interior Package Accessories that come with Brabus-branded shift pedals, aluminum pedal pads, and four-door lock pins.

What’s Different Under The Hood?

The Mercedes-AMG 4-Door GT 63 is offered in two trims in the stock form – GT 63 and GT 63 S. Both the models are powered by a 4.0-liter, bi-turbo V-8 that sends power to the wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. It can be had with the 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive option as well. In the former, the engine makes 577 horses and 590 pound-feet of torque, which is no joke. But, the German automaker offers the ‘S’ model with 630 horses and 664 pound-feet of twist. The car can sprint to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds from rest.

Brabus obviously found these figures to be quite pesky for its stature and decided to pump up these numbers. But, instead of a straight-forward tune-up, the tuner also increased the displacement! The changes include a special precision-balanced billet crankshaft with a stroke increased to 3.9 inches, special billet piston rods, larger forged pistons, and an increased to the eight-cylinder bores to 3.3 inches.

A forced-induction system with two special high-performance turbochargers is also in place that increases the maximum boost pressure to 1.4 bar. They have a larger compressor unit and a special core assembly with reinforced axial bearing. Brabus has also integrated a carbon ram-air intake system on the left and right in the radiator grille. Special high-pressure pumps for the fuel supply are installed as well.

The nine-speed automatic gearbox is retained as it is. Even the exhaust system comes with changes. Brabus has installed a stainless-steel, high-performance quad exhaust system with free-flow metal catalysts produced specifically for the GT floor pan. This system also comes with exhaust flaps for an electronically controlled sound management. You can select light, subtle notes like ‘Coming Home’ to a powerful eight-cylinder exhaust note depending on the drive mode you’ve selected.

The result of the increased displacement and power outputs can be seen in the performance figures.The car keeps pulling effortlessly, but Brabus has limited the top speed to 205 mph due to weight constraints. The Brabus Rocket 900 weighs 4,673 pounds.

Not that it matters in a performance car, but the Brabus Rocket 900 delivers 14 miles per gallon in the city, 23 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined.

Final Thoughts

The Brabus Rocket 900 is an exclusive product through and through. To maintain its exclusivity, the tuner will make just 10 examples of the Rocket 900. You don’t expect such a product to be cheap. Brabus has priced the Rocket 900 “One of Ten” at €435,800, which is approximately $515,600 as per the exchange rates at the time of penning down this article. In comparison, the standard Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S starts at $161,200 in the States. All of a sudden it looks quite inexpensive, doesn’t it?