Highlights

Full BRABUS certifications and official documents included
‘One of one’ RHD 650 B40S cars converted by the factory at Bottrop
650bhp, 4litre V8 Brabus-tuned twin turbo engine capable of 0-60 in 3.7secs
De-limited to achieve claimed 200mph
Individually developed by Brabus for each customer and featuring extensive options
Based on the W205 C-Class Mercedes C63S AMG
Full service history

The Appeal

If AMG begins where Mercedes stops then Brabus picks up the mantle from its fellow factory-owned tuner. Brabus dials things up to 11 or, where possible, 12. Devastatingly quick yet luxurious in the conservative Mercedes way, a Brabus is like a bespoke suit: custom made for each buyer.

Brabus buyers have two options when it comes to ‘Brabus-ising’ their Mercedes. They can buy it and then drop it off at one of the firm’s dealerships for customising, or they can order direct from Brabus and get everything done at the factory in Bottrop by the firm’s specialists before it is delivered. This car took the latter route, hence the distinctive bright red engine inlet covers that can only be provided by the factory. It is also as rare as any car can be – according to the seller, it is the only right-hand drive 650 B40S in the world and would have cost in excess of €200,000 when new. We're told that if the work was allowed today it would be around £80,000.

The B40S is based on the C63S AMG W205 Mercedes C-Class saloon. Where the C63 is astonishingly quick, the B40S is quicker. 650bhp equates to 0-60mph in an head-snapping 3.6secs. This is a massively fast, seriously capable bespoke car that drives quite differently to a C63 thanks to a wider track and tweaked cambers.

This 2015 B40S sports Brabus ‘B’ emblems in place of the three pointed stars but aside from the red brake callipers it is hard to distinguish from its C63 cousin, thanks in part to the attractive dark grey paintwork. And surely that is part of this car’s appeal. It has covered just 30,000 miles, has full Mercedes-Benz Brabus dealer service history and has low owners.

Effectively the 'Black Series' W205 that Mercedes-Benz never built themselves – as motoring goes electric perhaps this is the last chance to enjoy a scintillatingly fast V8 courtesy of some big old school turbochargers. If rarity, performance and a dash of four seater practicality are your thing, they don’t get much rarer or faster than this.

The History And Paperwork

Full Brabus main dealer service history
Fully certified and documented with official BRABUS documents from Bottrop
30,000 miles from new
Factory conversion rather than by Brabus dealers
Three owners including Mercedes dealer and the vendor, who both used it as a showroom car

Authenticated and certified by BRABUS headquarters in Bottrop, unlike other vehicles that have been converted outside of their HQ, this vehicle is logged on a central BRABUS database with proof of documentation.

The Interior

AMG Performance electric and heated front seats with single piece back and white Alcantara highlights
Optional start/stop with memory function
Illuminated stainless steel Brabus door sill trims
Brabus overmats
Upgraded Burmester premium sound system
Panoramic roof
Rear camera
Keyless entry
Privacy glass
Remote boot closing

The Brabus makeover goes some way beyond the mechanicals. Every factory car was developed individually for each buyer from a huge options list so no two cars are quite the same.

This car was supplied new to a Mercedes dealer to be used as a show car so was fitted with a particularly long list of options. These include the gorgeous AMG Performance front seats, which combine a single piece back, with polished aluminium inserts and a white Alcantara highlight. Those seats are heated and with memory function. White seatbelts complement the seats. The seats are in excellent condition, just a light shine on the driver’s seat indicating age.

The Alcantara and leather steering wheel is in very good condition, only a small area of wear on the white positioning band detracting. Elsewhere there are illuminated Brabus kick plates on the doors and Brabus overmats to serve as a reminder that this car is something a little different.

The rest of the interior is highly optioned including Burmester premium sound system, panoramic roof, aluminium RACE shift paddles, keyless entry and start, rear camera and remote boot closing.

Aside from the Mercedes dealer and Brabus specialist who have owned this car but only used it for show, it has had just one private owner. This likely explains the remarkable condition of the interior, which is virtually as it left the Brabus factory.

The Exterior

Graphite Grey dark grey metallic bodywork
Carbon fibre Brabus spoilers front and back, all protected by bespoke cut paint protection film at a cost of £4,500
Optional 20inch Monoblock lightweight alloy wheels in excellent condition
Continental tyres
Red AMG brake callipers
Optional Brabus badges

The W205 C-Class Mercedes is a good place to start developing a low key high performance saloon. Smooth and distinctive in a very Mercedes way it is a good-looking car from the less-is-more school of design.

This Brabus takes that idea and runs with it. It has been nicely optioned with dark grey paintwork and lovely 20inch alloys to downplay its capability. The big red brake callipers draw the eye and hint at what this car is all about.

The Graphite Grey paintwork is in very good condition. We could only find a small number of stone chips on the driver’s door in the photographs. The Brabus fittings include carbon fibre spoilers and diffusers, which Brabus themselves claim improve the aerodynamics of the C63S. These have been carefully wrapped with a paint protection film. Each piece had to be trimmed to fit and the total cost exceeded £4,500. However, there is a scuff on the low front splitter.

The lightweight Monoblock alloy wheels, a Brabus option, are particularly attractive and in very good condition. The car sits on quality Continental tyres.

The Mechanics

4-litre M177 Mercedes twin turbo V8 engine Brabus engineered to 650bhp
7spd automatic gearbox with semi-automatic shift option
Valve controlled AMG exhaust
Wider track with extra clearance
De-limited to enable claimed 200mph top speed
650 B40S factory conversion by Brabus at a cost of around £80,000
Red top engine indicates the work was done by the factory rather than a Brabus dealer

It is under the bonnet where the Brabus magic really happens. The standard C63S delivers over 500bhp from its M177 4litre V8. But for the original buyer of this car, a Mercedes dealership, that was not enough. Brabus fitted larger compression units to the twin turbos and that, alongside some other choice fettling, increased the performance to 650bhp.

That performance all goes through the rear wheels. It is testament to the quality of the engineering and the Brabus workmanship that the car can actually put that power down and hit 60mph in an eye-watering 3.6 seconds. Where allowed, you can push on to a claimed 200mph, thanks to this car’s delimited package.

Of course, there are plenty of tuners about who can eke extra power out of a car. The trick with this Brabus is that the driving experience is also transformed compared to the standard AMG C63. That is achieved by a wider track, which is part of the Brabus fettling process, and extra clearance. The seller is a Brabus specialist and explains that these adjustments significantly alter how the car drives compared to the C63.

The Brabus has covered just 30,000 miles, the vast majority of that with its one private owner. Brabus is a wholly owned Mercedes tuner so all the work is undertaken with the company’s approval. It was also carried out at the Brabus factory rather than by its dealer network, as the red top on the engine indicates. This car therefore has full Mercedes-Benz service history, all carried out by Brabus specialist dealers.

Summary

The era of big capacity, high performance V8 engines may be drawing to a close, but this car surely represents its zenith. What a way to go out: 650bhp, nerve-shattering acceleration and all in a luxurious, understated four seater saloon car.

Cars don’t get rarer or more exclusive than this – the only RHD Brabus 650 B40S in the world. It has the pedigree of being a proper factory-converted car, plus the reassurance of a full Mercedes-Benz service history. It is a remarkable machine and surely the ultimate four seat autobahn stormer.

It is important to note that the vehicle comes with official BRABUS documentation to authenticate the works. With the car being converted at the Headquarters in Bottrop this vehicle is registered and logged on a central BRABUS database proving its authenticity.

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