Brabus has once again taken the Mercedes-AMG SL to extremes, this time with a convertible packing nearly 1,000 horsepower and enough red carbon fiber to make a Ferrari blush.
Brabus Doubles Down on the SL
Following last year’s Rocket GTS, a wild shooting brake interpretation of the Mercedes-AMG SL, Brabus has now unveiled the Rocket GTC. While the GTS fused station-wagon proportions with track-bred aggression, the GTC abandons the roof entirely, returning the SL to its convertible roots but with far more extreme execution.
Nearly 1,000 Horsepower at Your Command
At the heart of the Rocket GTC is an extensively reworked version of AMG’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. Brabus enlarges displacement to 4.5 liters, adds forged pistons, a re-machined crankshaft, and two oversized turbochargers. The result is 985 horsepower (734 kW) and 1,342 lb-ft (1,817 Nm) of torque, though Brabus admits the torque has to be electronically capped to avoid destroying components. Acceleration figures are staggering: 0–62 mph comes in just 2.6 seconds, 124 mph in 9.5 seconds, and 186 mph in 23.6 seconds, before topping out at an electronically limited 197 mph.
Deep Red, Inside and Out
The GTC debuts in a “Deep Red” edition, where tinted red carbon fiber dominates the bodywork. The material appears across the massive flared fenders, aero ducts, sculpted rear arches, and even the five-spoke monoblock wheels with carbon aero blades. Inside, Brabus takes the theme further: virtually every surface is finished in quilted red leather or exposed carbon fiber. It is, in essence, an all-red world with only a few switches and vents spared.
Convertible from a Convertible
Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of the Rocket GTC is its lineage. The GTC is a convertible based on the Rocket GTS, a shooting brake that itself was already derived from the AMG SL convertible. In other words, Brabus has built a convertible from a shooting brake that was originally a convertible. It’s a circle of redesigns that raises the question of whether Brabus is innovating or simply amplifying shock value.
Performance Comes at a Price
Like the GTS, the GTC is priced firmly in hypercar territory. The “Deep Red” edition comes in at €697,800, or about $810,000, slightly cheaper than the GTS, but still more than triple the cost of the Mercedes-Maybach SL on which it’s loosely based. For buyers, exclusivity and spectacle appear to matter more than value, though the numbers suggest the Rocket GTC is at least as fast as many million-dollar supercars.
