Mat Watson: I attempt a top speed run in a £1,000,000 Brabus

This is the Brabus Rocket GTS, and it’s a bit like a Mercedes-AMG SL which has been turned up to 11. It has a totally bespoke body, the engine internals have been heavily modified, and the interior has been completely overhauled as well.

I had a go at maxing this car on the Autobahn, and I also took it to the Nurburgring to see if this £1 million monster actually gets any attention. I’ll also test the 0-60mph time, as well as do a brake test to see how well this car stops.

Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.

Brabus Rocket GTS review: design

Let’s start with the visual changes to the Brabus Rocket GTS, and there’s plenty to talk about. It shares three exterior parts with the standard Mercedes-AMG SL, and I’ll tell you what they are once I’ve shown you around the rest of this car.

For starters, every panel is made from carbon fibre, and this one has the weave exposed with a cool blue tint. The front bumper is totally bespoke and looks way more aggressive than the Mercedes SL.

It’s from the side that you see the biggest design change here, because it looks like no other car on the road – unless you’re familiar with the BMW Z3 Coupe. It has a taller roofline than an AMG-GT as well, which I found to be good for rear headroom.

These wheels are also unique to the GTS and are made entirely out of carbon fibre, measuring 21 inches at the front and 22 inches at the back for a more muscular stance. At the rear you have a ducktail spoiler in the bespoke tailgate.

So which bits of this car are carried over from the Mercedes SL? It’s just the front lights, taillights and the door mirrors. Brabus makes everything else in-house.

Brabus Rocket GTS review: engine and performance

As well as the unique bodywork, Brabus has also completely overhauled the engine in the GTS. It starts out in life as a Mercedes-AMG SL 63 E-Performance, which is already an 816hp hybrid which does 0-60mph in 2.9 seconds, but that’s just not crazy enough for Brabus.

It bored out the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 to 4.5 litres, and there are also upgraded turbochargers and a sports exhaust. The result is 1,000hp and 1,820Nm of torque, but what does this mean for performance?

Well Brabus says the Rocket GTS will do 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds, 0.3 of a second quicker than an AMG SL63 E-Performance, but my specialist timing gear says otherwise.

I actually managed to do 0-60mph in just 2.5 seconds, so slightly quicker than Brabus claims. The top speed is electronically limited to 197mph, so my next stop was the autobahn to try and max it out.

But there was a problem – the traffic was so heavy that there was a 130km/h speed limit in force on every section I visited. That’s around 80mph, and the Brabus was barely breaking a sweat at that speed.

I did manage to get up to around 110mph on a derestricted section before the traffic built up again, and I can tell you that this thing pulls so hard that I’m in no doubt that it could touch 200mph given enough room.

Brabus Rocket GTS review: is it an attention grabber?

If you’ve just spent £1 million on a car as rare as this, chances are you want to be noticed. To find out if this car turns heads, I went straight to the Nurburgring.

There’s all sorts of exotica to be found here, but my Brabus seemed to fly a bit under the radar. Fearful of someone damaging that super-expensive carbon bodywork, I parked the Rocket in a nice, wide EV charging bay. It is a plug-in hybrid after all, even if it doesn’t have the right charge port for this station.

A few people gave the car a second look, but I couldn’t tell if those glances were admiring or if they were just confused as to why I’d left a charging cable laying under the car. As I was leaving, one man came running up to my window. Finally, I thought, someone’s noticed me. Well actually, he had just noticed that I left the charging flap open and was letting me know. Very courteous of him, but not what I was after.

Brabus Rocket GTS review: my final verdict

So then, what’s my final verdict on the Brabus Rocket GTS? Well I had a bit of a frustrating day with the car. I didn’t manage to do a top speed run, and it didn’t draw as much attention as I’d hoped.

But that’s not a reflection on the car, and it feels like a properly special thing to drive. Only 25 of these cars will be made, which is why I was so nervous about driving it, but I love the way it looks and the attention to detail is superb.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

Click here to follow us on WhatsApp, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos.