The Mercedes W124 is praised for its build quality and the ability to survive just about anything (or so they say). When it comes to performance versions, the 500E is the first to come to mind, since it technically laid the foundation for a future lineup of V8-powered Mercedes performance sedans. Then came the E60 AMG “Hammer” with a bigger V-8 and more power. The Brabus 6.5, however, is even more special. In addition to being even more powerful, there’s only one in existence.

At the time of writing, this special Mercedes is looking for a new owner.

What is the 1994 Mercedes W124 Brabus 6.5?

The car is unique in more than one way, but the most important thing here is that it’s a one-off. Actually, the W124 BRABUS 6.5 is based on one of the 147 E60 AMGs made, so it’s an extremely rare version of an already rare car.

What BRABUS did was take an E60 AMG and enlarged the 32-valve M119 V-8 from 6.0 to 6.5 liters of displacement. The predicted 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) time is around 4.6 seconds and the 155 mph (250 km/) speed limiter has been removed.

Another way in which the BRABUS 6.5 is unique is its paint. This is the only E60 AMG that was finished in Almandine Red Metallic. Although this is a factory Mercedes color, offered on other models of the brand, out of the 147 E60 AMG cars, this was the only one to receive it.

In addition, 70 percent of the electronics have been replaced (also part of the conversion) and the people at BRABUS blessed the W124 with their own ASRIII traction control system. Other BRABUS improvements include an exhaust system, revised suspension, steering, bigger wheels and tires, an integrated navigation system, as well as monotone lower cladding, and other paint corrections.

The car was initially brought to Mercedes Hannover as a display car in October 1993, but its first registration was in September 1994. However, before the actual delivery, the first owner requested that the car’s appearance be modified with an SL hood and grille.

In 1998, the car was taken to Mercedes Hannover for a complete technical revision, which is also when the car received the BRABUS 6.5 conversion. At the time, the car had 140,000 km (87,000 miles) on the odometer. As part of the conversion, you could opt for a new odometer – something the first owner did not do. By 2001, the car had 216,000 km (134,216 miles) on the clock. This was also when the first owner sold the car, but not before changing the odometer, so it showed 77,000 km (47,845 miles), after the BRABUS conversion.

The car was exported to Kuwait, where the second owner had it for 14 years. This is also when the grille and hood were changed back to the original W124 style for registration purposes. With around 108,000 km (67,108 miles), the car was later sold to the 3rd owner – Academic AMG Owners Club – where it attended many events and won numerous awards.

Some of them were Winner of the 2016 Mercedes-Benz Club UK Concours de'Elegance - Special Class, Winner of the TOP50 cup at the 2017 Schöne-Sterne event (out of nearly 2000 cars), AMG special show award at the 2017 Schöne-Stars, Displayed at the 2018 Retro Classics -Stuttgart main ceremony hall, Displayed at the 2019 Techno Classica Essen Hall 1, and many others.

The car is the definition of a survivor as it has never been fully restored. The factory 28-year-old paint has some patina, as the car was daily-driven, throughout some of its life. The factory interior has also never been completely repainted, just freshened up a bit.

The red BRABUS comes with extensive service history, right until it was shipped to Kuwait. The car, reportedly, was not accepted by Mercedes-Benz Kuwait, as it was classified as modified. The third owner supervised the car’s maintenance, since 2006. It also comes with around 100 receipts for maintenance and repairs, since its initial delivery in 1994.

The car comes with concourse level- preparation and detailing and 117,800 km (73,197 miles) on the odometer. The one-off special is currently listed for £428,549 or the equivalent of $594 755. You can find more about the Mercedes W124 BRABUS 6.5 in the classic-traders listing.

Brabus 6.5 specifications

Engine

6.4-liter V-8

Power

450 HP

Torque

489 LB-FT

0 to 60 mph

4.6 seconds

Top Speed

155 mph