R12.8m Brabus Crawler ready to duel in desert
German tuning firm Brabus has created a mighty off-road desert racer based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
Called the Crawler, the extreme heavy-duty adventure vehicle was conceived as the ultimate dune racer.
The G-Class was modified with a high-strength tube frame combined with an open, four-seat body made of highquality exposed carbon, with a bright red roll cage.
The non road-legal Crawler features neither doors nor windows, making for a purist open-air experience.
Widened wheel arches accommodate huge off-road tyres on 20-inch wheels, and the Crawler has a rock-straddling 530mm ground clearance.
Suspension is independent up front with and a beam axle at the rear, with adjustable shocks and up to 160mm of spring travel.
It’s a high-adrenaline ride with its 4.5l twin-turbo V8 engine pushing out 662kW of power and a mighty 1,250Nm of torque, making this dune dueller capable of 0-100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds.
Top speed is electronically governed to 160km/h because of the off-road tyres.
A Brabus high-performance exhaust system with sporty matte black tailpipe trims and actively controlled valves ensures the right acoustics and looks for flying over the dunes.
Transmission duty is served by a nine-speed automatic, feeding a four-wheel drive system with locking differentials.
The driver and passengers sit in carbon fibre racing seats with four-point harnesses, and the seats are covered in fade-resistant Silvertex fabric from Brabus-developed high-performance boats.
Interior switches get a red anodised finish to match the seats and roll cage.
Also fitted is a helmet intercom system, plus a roof-mounted intake that sends air to the rear seats.
Pricing starts at €749,000 (R12.8m) and only 15 units of the Brabus Crawler will be built.