For Mercedes-Benz fans, the three letters AMG mean high performance and small batches. But there is always someone better. Brabus, which is as well-known as AMG, has launched models that are even more powerful than AMG.

Brabus was founded by Bodo Buschmann (leader) and Klaus Brackmann (Bodo’s college classmate), and the name is also composed of the first three letters of the last names of the two founders. Before the company was founded, Buschmann was just a college student. His father was a Mercedes-Benz dealer, a rich second-generation. When he was in school, Buschmann often drove a modified Porsche 911 to show off in the city.

Photo: Brabus founders: Bodo Buschmann (1956-2018) and Klaus Blackmann (date of birth and death unknown).

After a while, Buschman changed his car to a Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W116) because of his family’s relationship. Buschman wanted his new car to run faster, and even thought about how to make it faster than the previous 911, so he modified his W116. After modifying the car, Buschman became the most handsome guy in the town again because of his car, and also got his first business: modifying cars for his father’s customers. As the business increased, Buschman had an idea to set up a company: “a modification company dedicated to Mercedes-Benz services.” Because the West German government at the time stipulated that it took two people to establish a company, so in 1977, Buschman took his classmate Blackman and established Brabus GmbH.

Since Blackman was not interested in cars, he sold his 50% stake in Brabus to Buschman for about 100 euros. After acquiring these shares, Buschman was able to show his talents, and with the help of his father, Brabus finally landed successfully and opened next to the Mercedes-Benz store.

Picture: Due to its age, the editor can’t find Buschmann’s W116, so the original model is used here as a substitute.

After the W116 became famous, Buschmann took advantage of the opportunity and launched the first model: Brabus S-Klasse in 1979. However, Buschmann’s business model is different from AMG. After the customer picks up the car, he will send the car to the Brabus studio for upgrades, mainly upgrading the engine and exterior interior. This immediately highlights the geographical advantage of the Brabus studio, after all, the front yard is the father’s dealership and the backyard is the son’s studio.

Picture: Looking at Buschmann’s smiling face, you can tell that Brabus’s first step was very smooth.

Photo: Brabus’ first model: Brabus S-Klasse (W126).

In 1984, Brabus’ second model was born. This car was based on the 190 E (W201), equipped with a 5.0L V8 engine, and its aerodynamic performance was optimized, with a drag coefficient as low as 0.26Cd, breaking the world record. From then on, Daimler-Benz noticed this modification factory.

However, Brabus’s sights were not limited to Mercedes-Benz. In 1994, Brabus signed an agreement with Bugatti to jointly develop the EB110 SS. However, the cooperation between the two ended in 1998 when Bugatti was incorporated into the Volkswagen Group.

The model that really made Brabus famous in the global modification field was the Mercedes-Benz E-Klasse (W210) released in 1996. At that time, Buschmann replaced the 190 with a V12 engine with a peak torque of 780N·m and a maximum horsepower of 590PS, which was simple and crude. The final result was that the Brabus E-Klasse’s top speed could exceed 330kph, making it the fastest four-door sedan in the world. However, due to the lack of suitable tires, the top speed of this car was limited to 250kph.

At this time, Daimler-Benz had been observing Brabus and AMG, two high-performance modification factories. After learning from the E500, Daimler-Benz finally chose to acquire AMG in 1999 as a subsidiary integrating high-performance product development, racing, and small-batch production. Brabus also seized this opportunity and became the largest “independent modification factory serving Mercedes-Benz” in one fell swoop. It has successively launched more radical Brabus Supercar based on Mercedes-Benz and Smart models (especially AMG). Brabus even launched more abundant Brabus Supercar based on models of other brands, such as Porsche 911 Turbo/Taycan, Rolls-Royce Ghost, and off-road Land Rover (Land Rover) Range Rover. And we can find that Brabus’s models are basically named after the highest power instead of the torque parameters that were popular in the automotive industry later, which also follows the rules of German modification companies.

Pictured: The Brabus 850 is based on the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 (Z223).

Photo: The Brabus 900 Rocket R is based on the Porsche 911 Turbo S (992).

Photo: The Brabus 600 is based on the long-wheelbase version (L460) of the Range Rover P530.

Photo: Brabus 700 based on the Rolls-Royce Ghost (second generation).

Picture: In addition, Brabus also built the 900 Crawler dune racing car. However, we can find that the appearance of this car has some G-Klasse elements, and this car has not obtained a road license. In other words, this car cannot apply for a license plate and drive on the road.

On April 26, 2018, the founder of Brabus, Bodo Buschmann, passed away due to illness, and the Brabus business was handed over to his son Constantine Buschmann. In addition to launching Supercar and upgrade kits, Brabus has also entered the fields of classic car restoration, yachts, and cultural peripherals (clothing, watches, accessories).