The Brabus 900 Crawler is the Mercedes-Benz G-Class of my childhood dreams.
German tuner Brabus has transformed the Mercedes-Benz G-Class into an off-road desert racer called the 900 Crawler.
The front end of the Brabus 900 Crawler is the familiar G-Class, but behind it is more sand rail than luxury SUV. Brabus built its own steel tubular-frame chassis and used carbon-fiber open four-seater bodywork. The company widened the fenders to make room for huge off-road tires on 20-inch monoblock forged wheels.
Portal axles allow for a minimum ground clearance of 20.9 inches, according to Brabus, and the 900 Crawler has independent front suspension and rear beam axles with adjustable shocks and up to 6.3 inches of spring travel.
Under the hood is a twin-turbocharged 4.5-liter V-8 that produces 888 hp and 922 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and a 4-wheel drive system with locking differential.
Brabus claims that the V-8 pushes the 4,553-pound crawler from 0-62 mph in just 3.4 seconds. However, the car's top speed is electronically limited to 100 mph because of its off-road tires.
The driver and passengers sit in carbon fiber racing seats with four-point harnesses. The seats are upholstered in Silvertex fabric, a high-performance boat fabric developed by Brabus. Brabus claims that this material is resistant to fading from sunlight, an important consideration in the desert.
The roll cage, integrated with the interior, is colored the same bright red, and the interior switchgear is also anodized red. The crawler also features an intercom system that works with four Brabus-supplied helmets and other headsets, as well as a roof-mounted intake that sends air to the rear seats.
Prices start at 749,000 euros, or about $790,000 at current exchange rates. Note that the 900 Crawler cannot be driven on public roads. Production will be limited to 15 units, with the first five to be delivered later this year. Brabus plans to deliver another five in 2023 and the last five in 2024.
