Brabus Brings the Thunder to Mercedes' ML63 and GL63 AMG SUVs

Do you really need to have more than 500-horses under the hood of luxury, family orientated SUVs like the Mercedes-Benz ML or its longer sibling, the GL? The answer is no, but that's the wrong thing to ask buyers of these type of vehicles as they would rather prefer the question, 'Is it cool to have more than 500 ponies on tap?'

If you agree with the above, then read on to learn what famed Mercedes-Benz tuner Brabus has prepared for the latest ML 63 AMG and GL 63 AMG, which in factory guise, come with a twin-turbo V8 churning out up to 550hp (557PS) and 760Nm (560 lb-ft) of peak torque.

The package is named the "Brabus B63S - 700 Widestar" and it begins with the engine bay where the V8's output is boosted to 690hp (700PS) and peak torque to an electronically limited 960 Nm (708 lb-ft) to protect the drivetrain from…exploding.

The result is a 0-100km/h (62mph) acceleration figure of 4.4 seconds for the ML 63 and 4.6 seconds for the heavier GL 63 AMG, with both SUVs sporting an electronically limited top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) to protect the tires.

Talking about the rubber, the Brabus package includes 22- or optionally 23-inch alloy wheels, the latter wrapped in high-performance tires in size 315/25 ZR 23 for the ML and 305/30 ZR 23 for the GL. There's also a special control module for the AIRMATIC air suspension that lowers the ride height of the high-performance SUVs.

Visually, the two Brabus-prepped models obtain a wide-body kit comprising fender flares that add 60mm (2.4 inches) to the width of the ML and 80mm (3.1 inches) to the GL, new front and rear bumpers, an assortment of spoilers, new exhaust tips and a raft of available upgrades for the interior trim and upholstery.

BRABUS ML 63 AMG