Brabus Taycan Turbo S: German Muscle for the New Age

Of all of the tuning companies specializing in German cars, there are few that can boast a pedigree that comes close to that of Brabus. They’ve been turning wrenches on German hot rods, with a focus on Mercedes-Benz, for almost fifty years, and have a well-deserved reputation for immaculate craftsmanship and lots of horsepower. Perhaps the most well-known vehicles in their lineup are their Rocket cars. These souped-up Mercedes (of various donor platforms) vehicles feature their highest level of detail and sport a whopping 800 or 900 horsepower (and 1,000 nm of torque), depending on the individual offering.

In order to pull these massive power figures out of the Mercedes engines, Brabus has had to do a significant amount of engineering and upgrading to the factory mills, and while many laypersons may just recognize a Brabus from their swanky interiors or eye-catching bodywork, the true magic really lies under the hood. They strip the motors down to the crankshaft, and replace the OEM parts with the best money can buy: custom crankshafts, connecting rods, and pistons for the short block. Then, they’ll swap out the twin turbochargers and supply custom intake and exhaust manifolds for increased breathing of the motor, and everything else required to make the package work like it did from the factory. Clearly, Brabus has a deep and longstanding love affair with internal combustion engines, and there are few shops in the world that could come close to a real Brabus Rocket. But the times, they are a-changing, and electric cars are skyrocketing in popularity. What are gearheads, like those over at Brabus, supposed to do?

Let’s shift gears a little, and head over to Stuttgart, home of Porsche, and the Porsche Taycan. Here, we’ll find a particular avenue that Brabus is exploring, which might give a good look at what’s to come.

The Taycan – Porsche Goes Electric

In 2015, Porsche released the Taycan. Those who were skeptical about an electric vehicle doubling as a true sports sedan had their fears quashed almost immediately; with power ranging all the way up to 751 horsepower on the Taycan Turbo S and classic Porsche handling to boot, the Taycan is a strong choice for anyone looking to buy a premier sports sedan, even if a fully-electric vehicle isn’t a consideration. These cars feature a digital cockpit and a high quality interior right from the start, so it’s not surprising that Teutonically-minded auto enthusiasts have flocked to them from the get-go, and that includes Brabus.

The Brabus Taycan Turbo S

As with most Brabus creations, you’ll notice its chiseled visage immediately. Unlike some other shops (looking at you, Mansory), Brabus generally incorporates more classic German restraint into the body work here, and while the revisions are subtle, you can’t help but think they all add up to one dang good looking Taycan. Of critical importance here is not altering the aerodynamics of the vehicle too much, as this has a significant impact on the range of electric vehicles.

With that in mind, Brabus’ “1-Second-Wow” styling on their Taycan is just that. The front splitter looks great, and can only be described as “Vader-esque.” A matching rear splitter completes the look, and serves to keep the Taycan firmly planted, as do the Brabus side skirts. Beautiful, bespoke Brabus wheels sit at all four corners, and subtle badging serves as a reminder of the exclusivity of the vehicle from every angle.

The interior is nothing less than exceptional. Finished in a completely custom assortment of the finest leather and alcantara, a bright green accent gives the interior a pop of color, and ties the visual cues of this Taycan together, reflecting the color used on the brake calipers. Of course, there are all of the personalized door pulls, scuff plates, and badging cues you’d expect from such a prestigious vehicle sprinkled around the cabin. In short, there are no compromises here – exactly as you’d expect.

Where the Brabus Taycan just can’t live up to its siblings, the Rockets, is in sheer horsepower gains over the factory version. While all of this electric propulsion is still in its nacency, it’s only reasonable to give Brabus some time to bring in some new engineers and figure out how to wring more power out of the electric drive systems. Unfortunately, hopping up these vehicles isn’t as simple as completely tearing down the engine and then rebuilding it. While this Taycan still sports an insane 761 horsepower and around 774 foot-pounds of torque, it’s a relatively modest increase over the factory Taycan S. Is it likely that anyone will complain about this car being low on power? Absolutely not.

An Electric Future

While this Taycan treatment appears to be by request only from Brabus – that is, it doesn’t appear that they are producing these for sale at dealers at this point – it does show the direction that Brabus will likely be heading in over the next decade. This includes stylized bodywork that adds a bit of slipperiness, ride height control, beautiful interiors, and perhaps some mild power increases. For those looking for the ultimate expression of the Porsche Taycan platform, there is none greater than the Brabus Taycan Turbo S.