Nothing says 'plutocrat' quite as convincingly as a German luxury sedan with big, shiny rims, lowered suspension, a carbon-fibre aero kit and a deep bass rumble from drainpipe-sized tail-pipes.
Which is why Affalterbach builds the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG - and now Brabus has announced a whole range of upgrades for the new S-Class, offering up to 537kW, 1065Nm and 325km/h, all backed by the only three-year or 100 000km warranty in the German aftermarket tuning industry.
WALK THE TORQUE
Brabus has always been about walking the torque so, rather than highlighting its aero kit or quilted upholstery, the S-Class programme kicks off with a range of upgrades for the big Merc's twin-turbo V8 engines.
The plug-and-play Brabus B50 - 520 PowerXtra CGI performance kit applies special mapping for fuel-injection and ignition, along with a moderate increase in boost pressure, to liberate an extra 47kW from the 4.7-litre S500 V8. Peak output jumps from 335 to 382kW, torque grows to 820Nm, and 0-100km/h time drops to just 4.2 seconds.
Included in the installation is a Vmax unit that allows the electronic speed-limiter to be set to 270, 275 0r 300km/h.
Then there's the B63 - 650 PowerXtra CGI version which, as its name suggests, turns up the wick even further on the lunatic S53 AMG, boosting power from 430 to 478kW (at a usable-in-the-real-world 5500rpm!) with 1000Nm (up from 700) on tap from 2250 to 3750rpm.
Still want more?
Then the B63S - 730 high-performance version with its distinctive Gold Heat Reflection system for the intake and charge-air pipes is the one for you.
The standard AMG turbochargers make way for two special Brabus turbos with bigger compressor units and a low-temperature water radiator for the intercooling system, a free-flow exhaust system with metal catalysts and 75mm downpipes, and revised engine management mapping.
All of which delivers a claimed 537kW at a conservative 5300rpm, 1065Nm (electronically limited to save the half-shafts!) from 1750 to 5000rpm, and a top speed of of 325km/h - also electronically limited, by a Vmax unit that Brabus throws in as part of the deal.
KEEPING IT ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW
Whether your V8 S-Class runs a standard engine or a Brabus kit, there are further gains to be had (in terms of presence, anyway!) from a Brabus sports exhaust system with a butterfly valve, controlled by a button on steering wheel, that allows our plutocrat to sneak home from a night out in 'Stealth' mode or announce his presence to the peasantry in 'Sport' mode.
To keep all that extra muscle on the straight and narrow, Brabus recommends its specially-developed control modules to lower the ride height of S-Class models either Airmatic or active body control suspension by about 15mm.
And yes Cyril, the catalogue includes special Monoblock rims in diameters from 19 to 21" - headlined by the forged and mirror-polished Platinum Edition Monoblock F or Monoblock VI cross-spoke rims, wearing super-sticky 255/30 ZR21 front and 295/30 ZR21 rear Continental, Pirelli or Yokohama rubber.
LUXURY TRIM
Then there's a huge choice of 'luxury' trim elements for the new S-Class, ranging from sill plates emblazoned with the Brabus logo to complete 'fine leather' interiors crafted from specially-tanned, soft yet durable Mastik leather and alcantara, topped off with an exclusive, all-the-flutes-and-clangers, specially-made-for-Brabus multimedia system.
You'll note there has been no mention of an aero kit; that's because there isn't one - yet.
Brabus technicians are currently busy in the wind tunnel, fine-tuning an 'elegant yet sporty' aero kit in Carbon-fibre and PUR composites, which will be shown in public for the first time at the Frankfurt motor show in September.