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While it might look like a Mercedes-AMG G63, it's actually a totally bespoke Brabus creation.
The absurd off-roader you see in these photos might look like a Mercedes-AMG G63 at first glance, but it's actually the first totally bespoke creation from German tuner Brabus. Meet the Brabus Crawler, a 900-horsepower tube-frame dune buggy that costs nearly $1 million and isn't road-legal.
Brabus describes the Crawler as a supercar that "redefines the meaning of driving pleasure," and I have to say I believe it. The Crawler uses a new tube frame chassis made from high-strength steel and a carbon fiber body without any doors or windows. It kind of looks like one of those Suzuki Jimnys with a fake G-Wagen body kit, but one that was crossbred with a Dakar rally car and a side-by-side ATV. It has a carbon fiber roof with a front light bar and a cute rear wing, and the tube frame and many other accents are painted bright red to provide a striking contrast. The Crawler is 10 inches shorter in length than a G63, but it's more than a foot taller and weighs more than 1,000 pounds less than the G-Wagen.
The Crawler has almost 21 inches of ground clearance.
Power is provided by a twin-turbo 4.5-liter V8 engine, an evolution of AMG's excellent 4.0-liter unit, with special turbochargers and an active exhaust system. Total output is 900 horsepower and 774 pound-feet of torque, increases of 323 hp and 147 lb-ft over a normal G63. Power is sent to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic transmission, and it's got electronically locking differentials. Brabus says the Crawler will hit 62 mph in 3.4 seconds, over a second quicker than a G63, though its top speed is limited to 99 mph.
Obviously Brabus didn't skimp on the rest of the Crawler's mechanicals, either. It's got portal axles, newly developed aluminum struts and fully adjustable shocks that provide nearly 21 inches of ground clearance. For comparison's sake, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 only has a measly 10 inches of clearance. The Crawler's 20-inch forged wheels have chunky Maxxis Razr off-road tires.
It's got a fancy GPS system.
The Crawler's interior features the steering wheel and dual screens from the G-Wagen, but the rest is totally bespoke. Its four carbon bucket seats have four-point harnesses and bright red Silvertex padding, a fabric developed for Brabus' Marine line of performance boats. Brabus says Silvertex doesn't fade in the sun, and the seats have nice stitching and embroidered logos. The front passenger gets an additional 12-inch screen with an off-road GPS system, and there's a two-way intercom system integrated into the four included carbon helmets.
Brabus will only build 15 of the Crawler, with the one in these photos currently listed for sale at €891,310, the equivalent of almost $940,000. That's quite a bit more than the G63's $157,500 price tag, but there's really no comparison between the two. The Brabus Crawler is one of most ridiculous factory creations I've ever seen, and I desperately want it.