Brabus G63 is all about the pose and the roar Subtlety’s not on the menu

THE Mercedes-Benz G-Class is like the Hulk of the car world. That boxy shape looks tough enough to break through castle walls and it’s capable of going just about anywhere it pleases, but it has a soft Bruce Banner side in terms of the plush comfort of its cabin.

Small wonder that the Gelandewagen has become such an iconic offroad vehicle, amassing a dedicated fan base since its launch back in 1979.

Then there’s Brabus, the German tuning firm that’s famous for transforming Mercs into soccer-star spec. It has waved its wand over the G-Class, pimping up the range-topping AMG G63 version with a body kit and an angry exhaust, and it’s available for R3-million at Daytona, the purveyors of McLarens, Rolls-Royces and Aston Martins in South Africa, who also more recently became the Brabus official agents. Brabus conversion kits are available as aftermarket fitment for various Mercedes-Benz cars.

The Brabus items on this Gelandewagen comprise 23” wheels fitted with super-wide and low-profile 305/35 tyres, front bumper add-on, front bumper skirt with daytime running lights, black headlights, carbon fibre bonnet attachment, roof spoiler, Brabus badging, and slash-cut sports exhausts jutting out from under the rear passenger doors.

And in case this didn’t make the vehicle stand out enough, our road-test unit was painted bright yellow just to make sure no one can miss it.

Inside, the treatment includes Brabus door lock pins, Brabus-illuminated entrance panels in the doors and boot, and race shift paddles