What's the news?
It seems as if the new Mercedes-Benz G-Class (G-Wagen, come on) has barely been launched, and already the tuning nutters at Brabus, purveyors of insanely fast modified Mercs have had their spanners out and had a go at making it even faster, and even more expensive.
This is the Brabus B40-500 PowerXtra kit, which can be fitted to the new G 500. It takes the standard twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine and pumps it up to 500hp, with peak torque of 710Nm. Most of that comes from a new plug-and-play engine management black box, but there are also some tweaks to the injection and ignition systems.
The Brabus G500 returns a 0-100km/h run of 5.7 seconds, and is limited to a top speed of 210km/h. Impressively, Brabus adds in its own three-year 100,000km warranty for the car...
There's a new stainless steel exhaust system, with active noise-enhancing flaps, twin chrome exit pipes, and a 'coming home' mode which quietens everything down so that you don't annoy the neighbours too much.
There's a full Brabus bodykit too, including a new front fascia, with integrated LED side markers, and a spoiler that reduces front-end lift.
There's also a new radiator grille, with the famous Brabus double-b logo, which lights up in blue when you unlock the car or pull on the door handle.
Up top, there's a carbon fibre light pod above the windscreen, which two sets of 12 high-output LED lights, which boosts the forward lighting on high beam.
There's also a massive bonnet scoop, which isn't just there for looks, it also really does feed cold air to the engine bay, and helps extract hot air. Down the back, there's a big rear spoiler too.
Those wheels are Brabus Monoblock items, and you can spec them up to a gargantuan 23 inches if you like, by ticking the Platinum Forged edition option box.
Inside, the options list is more or less endless, from breathable Mastik leather and Alcantara trim, to in-car cinema and sound systems.