Skip to main content

Brabus 888-hp Rocket 900 Cabrio is a convertible with supercar-rivaling speed

German tuner Brabus is known for taking Mercedes-Benz cars to new extremes, but can you really improve on the Mercedes-AMG S65 convertible and its 621-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 engine?

Yes, you can. Brabus turned the S65 into the aptly named Rocket 900, which the company claims is the world’s fastest and most powerful convertible. That should make Brabus’ latest creation the enemy of toupee wearers everywhere.

Recommended Videos

The V12 now produces 888hp, while torque is up from the original 738 pound-feet to 885 lb-ft. Brabus claims the engine can actually muster a ludicrous 1,106 lb-ft, but it installed an electronic muzzle in the name of reliability. To achieve that increase in power, Brabus increased displacement to 6.3 liters, added larger turbochargers, and changed the exhaust manifolds, cooling system, and control software.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Power goes to the rear wheels through a modified version of the seven-speed automatic transmission from the stock S65; Brabus reinforced it to handle the extra power. The Rocket 900 Cabrio also features a custom limited-slip differential for better traction, and an active exhaust system that switches between a neighbor-friendly quiet mode, and a loud mode that unleashes the V12’s full fury.

Brabus claims the Rocket 900 Cabrio will do 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, beating the stock S65 convertible by 0.2 second. The top speed of 217 mph not only blows away the stock version’s electronically enforced 155-mph limit (186 mph with an optional package), but equals the top speed of the Ferrari LeFerrari Aperta convertible. Brabus may have fudged its “world’s fastest claim” just a bit, as the Rocket 900 doesn’t appear to be faster than the Ferrari.

Given the performance on tap, visual modifications are relatively subtle. The Rocket 900 Cabrio wears a tasteful body kit, and sits 0.6 inch closer to the ground than the standard S65. The only real bling in evidence is the set of 21-inch wheels (22-inch rims are optional). Brabus also tweaked the interior, mostly by adding trim pieces bearing its name and logo. The speedometer now goes up to 250 mph.

The Brabus Rocket 900 Cabrio debuts later this month at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. Mercedes is expected to unveil an updated version of the S65 convertible at the same show, with the same changes that debuted on the 2018 S-Class sedan earlier this year.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2025 Awards
Top Tech of CES

Las Vegas is overrun. Every billboard in town is shouting about AI, hotel bar tops now sport a sea of laptops, and after hours The Strip is elbow to elbow with engineers toting yard-long beers.

That means CES, the year’s biggest tech bacchanalia, has come to town, and Digital Trends editors have spent the last four days frolicking among next year’s crop of incredible TVs, computers, tablets, and EVs. We’re in heaven.

Read more
Sony and Honda’s Afeela 1 EV makes more sense at CES than in the real world
Afeela 1 front quarter view.

The Sony car is almost here. After its creation via a joint venture with Honda in 2022 and two years’ worth of prototypes, the electronics giant’s Afeela brand is finally taking reservations for its first electric vehicle, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2026.

But will it be worth the wait? Coinciding with the opening of reservations, Sony Honda Mobility brought updated prototypes of the Afeela 1 (as it’s now officially known) to CES 2025, representing what California customers (Afeela is only taking reservations in that state) who put down a $200 refundable deposit can expect when they take delivery.

Read more
Bose wants to dominate car audio, and I heard its next-gen 3D automotive speakers
Bose logo on a speaker grille

Bose’s automotive audio business is huge, and it’s set to get even bigger. The company has been making big plays in car audio for some time now. The audio company works with premium brands like Porsche, building high-end speakers that allow drivers to experience high-quality audio on the road, whether they’re carting the family around in an Escalade or weaving around the highway (don’t do that) in a Porsche Macan.

But while it has a solid selection of audio brands under its belt, the world of personal audio is also evolving. Mercedes-Benz showed off its Dolby Atmos system at CES last year, and now, a year later, plenty of other brands are joining the trend. At CES 2025, Bose walked me through its current lineup of automotive audio products, as well as a sneak peek of what’s to come.
Immersive audio
The big trend in all areas of personal audio right now essentially boils down to supporting 3D audio formats like Dolby Atmos. Consumer home theater products are increasingly offering up-firing and side-firing speakers that can bounce audio around the room to simulate height and surround effects, while headphone brands are increasingly developing spatialized audio tech that can convert stereo audio into simulated spatial audio.

Read more