Brabus blitzes ultra-luxo speed record

No doubt inspired by the feats of the Maybach Exelero (conceived as a rolling test bed for tyre manufacturer Fulda), German tuning firm Brabus has clocked up a world speed record with a worked-over Maybach 57S.

The Brabus-tweaked Maybach achieved a speed of 330.6km/h to earn it the somewhat obscure title of "The World's Fastest and Most Exclusive Ultra-Luxury Sedan".

The record was set at the high-speed test track in Nardo, Italy, by the 537kW Brabus, besting the company's own previous record set in 2005 when a Maybach 57 powered by a 471kW Brabus SV12 Biturbo engine was clocked at 314km/h.

The SV12 S Biturbo evolution of the 6.3-litre displacement engine was originally developed for the Brabus Rocket, the four-door sedan based on the Mercedes CLS series.

In October, 2006, the Rocket set a speed record for street-legal sedans of 365.7km/h, a record that still stands today.

For its latest record-breaker, the Brabus engineers developed a special crankshaft with longer stroke, precision-balanced piston rods and larger pistons to increase engine displacement from 5.5 to 6.3 litres.

The inner workings of the engine are modified with precision-machined cylinder heads and special camshafts. Extra oomph was harnessed via a high-performance turbocharging system with special manifolds, two larger turbos, more efficient intercoolers, and a stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system with metal catalysts.

Obviously, the standard 250km/h speed limiter is also ditched, but the gargantuan peak torque of 1320Nm had to be reined in via engine electronics to a marginally saner 1100Nm.

And, yet, the car isn't a complete enviro-vandal as the engine still meets stringent Euro IV emission limits.

The enormous power of the Brabus SV12 S Biturbo engine is transferred to the rear wheels via a reinforced five-speed automatic transmission.

The top speed of 330.2 km/h clearly places enormous demands on tyres and wheels, so the Brabus suspension engineers developed forged 21-inch Brabus Monoblock VI light-alloy wheels specifically for the Maybach.

The fully polished multi-piece wheels with six double spokes are shod with 275/40 R 21 Continental rubber at the front and 315/35 R 21s at the rear.

For added high-speed stability the Brabus air-suspension module lowers the ride height by some 15mm, "without compromising the unique ride comfort".

It all seems a bit pointless and irrelevant, but it just goes to show that anything can be achieved if enough money and know-how are poured into a project.