Limited-Edition GT Transformed Into 1,000-HP Monster

The world of the ultra-quick sports sedan has entered a rather strange phase in the past few years. The continuous external pressures coming from the likes of the EPA and the Euro7 Commission are forcing automakers to adapt to stringent environmental policies – with many adopting hybrid technology or dropping the internal combustion engine altogether.

Despite these changing times, power figures continue to rise in the performance car market, with the AMG performance arm of Mercedes-Benz still quietly churning out massively powerful four-door V8 missiles. However, for German Mercedes tuning specialists Brabus, a fast car can always be made faster, with their latest Rocket 1000 hyper luxury sedan being the company’s first foray into the four-figure power club.

Brabus Overhaul AMG’s Already Bonkers Twin-Turbo Hybrid V8

2024 Brabus Rocket 1000 Specifications

(figures courtesy of Brabus)

The starting point for the Brabus Rocket 1000 isn’t exactly slow by any means, with the Mercedes-AMG GT63 SE Performance edition’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter hybrid V8 producing a combined output of 843 hp and a frankly ridiculous 1,084 lb-ft of torque. Power goes to all four wheels via an AMG Speedshift 9-speed sequential automatic transmission, with the option to send power to the rear wheels only via the AMG’s drift mode.

Now, that’s a lot of big numbers, and to make them even bigger, Brabus has been very busy indeed. The 4.0-liter V8 has seen its displacement increase to 4.5 liters with a special crankshaft machined from solid material with a 4-inch stroke, along with upgraded solid milled conrods and adapted compression forged pistons.

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From there, Brabus fit an upgraded downpipe and a stainless-steel high-performance exhaust, along with their own proprietary upgraded turbochargers running at just over 20 lbs of boost. Controlling everything is a PowerXtra B40E-1000 ECU tuned by Brabus, upping the power of the ICE from 639 hp to 796 hp. The 204 hp from the 6.1 kWh lithium-ion battery and electric motor remains unchanged, combining to produce a total output of 1,000 hp and 1,342 lb-ft of torque. However, Brabus electronically limits torque to 1195 lb-ft to prevent damaging the driveline.

Now, when road cars start to reach this level of power and torque, performance gains will only be incremental. So, while a 0.3-second improvement from 0-60 mph might not sound like much, hitting that number in 2.6 seconds is no mean feat. Still, it might be a disappointment to some that the 196-mph top speed remains the same as the standard GT63 SE.

Brabus Gives The AMG GT63 The Widebody Treatment

2024 Brabus Rocket 1000 Bodywork Changes

• Re-styled carbon fiber front apron/shroud with integrated splitter and side blades
• Carbon grille with LED strakes and dual ram air intakes
• Flared carbon front and rear fenders adding over 2.6 inches in width
• Carbon rear diffuser, exhaust tips, and bumper ducts
• Fixed position carbon rear wing

Despite having over 800 hp, the AMG GT63 in standard trim is a bit of a wallflower, even in Special Edition Performance guise. While some might regard the ‘Merc’s sleeper status as a good thing, there are others who will find the styling a bit underwhelming. Brabus is definitely in the latter camp and has gone with a balls-to-the-wall styling update courtesy of a carbon widebody kit.

Starting at the front, the Rocket 1000 has what Brabus calls a carbon fiber apron, which is essentially the large shroud surrounding the bottom part of the front clip below the main grille. Aside from the carbon treatment, the apron is wider, more angular, and more aggressive, with the integrated carbon aero blades on either side of the center section ducting air towards the wheels to cool the ceramic brakes.

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The restyled front end also houses an integrated front splitter with small carbon aero blades to reduce front-end lift. The Rocket 1000 also has dual carbon ram air intakes integrated on either side of the grille, with two of the vertical strakes now illuminated in red LED light. It does look a bit of a Frankenstein with the a-symmetrical design, but there’s no denying it has a presence.

The aggressive design continues to the massive, flared fenders front and rear, with the Rocket 1000 now 2.63 inches wider than the standard AMG GT63. The rear of the car is no less aggressive, with a carbon rear diffuser and multipiece fixed carbon rear wing. Brabus says all the upgrades increase downforce, although they don’t give a tangible figure of how much.

The Chassis Upgrades To The Rocket 1000 Are Only Minor

The base Mercedes AMG GT63 SE Performance already has some of the brand’s most sophisticated suspension technology, with its adaptive three-chamber air suspension, adjustable dampers, and rear wheel steering providing plenty of cornering capability, even with a curb weight of 5,247 lbs. As such, Brabus has largely left the suspension alone, simply providing an electronic piggyback module that can lower the ride height by about 0.8 inches.

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Meanwhile, the wheels and tires have seen a more significant upgrade, with a set of Brabus Monoblock P forged center-lock wheels complete with carbon aero discs to better channel airflow to the ceramic brakes. The Rocket 1000 also ditches the standard car’s Continental SportContact 6 tires in favor of the stickier SportContact 7, running a staggered 275/35/21 at the front and an enormous 335/25/22 at the rear.

The Rocket 1000s Interior Is A Sea Of Leather And Carbon

Mercedes’ interiors are already some of the best in the business, but that hasn’t stopped Brabus from. Like the rest of the car, they turned things up to 11. Brabus describes the upgraded interior as “a complete masterpiece”, built with “surgical craftsmanship.” While we’re not sure we’d go that far, it certainly looks supremely high quality, with everything from the seats to the armrests to the trunk floor and even the sun visors covered in leather.

Meanwhile, the rest of the interior is primarily carbon fiber, with Brabus adding to Mercedes’ existing carbon dash with their carbon center console, steering wheel spoke, and steering shift paddles. All this work does come at a cost, though, with the starting price coming in at a hefty 538,192 Euros, or $584,181. Brabus is only building 25 of these 1,000-hp Rockets, and while the price is bordering on hypercar territory, the craftsmanship and attention to detail are undeniable.

Sources: Brabus, Mecedes-Benz