Brabus Rocket GTC Deep Red: A Mercedes SL With Hypercar Power

Date:2025-08-19 02:47:05 Category:Car Views:1 Comment:0

Brabus Rocket GTC Deep Red: A Mercedes SL With Hypercar Power originally appeared on Autoblog.

Monterey Car Week thrives on excess, and Brabus knew exactly how to steal headlines. The tuner unveiled its Rocket GTC Deep Red, a heavily re-engineered Mercedes-Benz SL that now churns out a staggering 986 horsepower and 1,342 lb-ft of torque. That power figure comes courtesy of a twin-turbo 4.5-liter V8 paired with a rear-axle electric motor, transforming the luxury roadster into something closer to a hypercar.

It rockets to 62 mph in just 2.6 seconds and tops out at 197 mph, which puts it in rare company among the fastest GTs in the world. Brabus isn’t shy about such projects—its 1,000-hp Mercedes-AMG GT proved the tuner is comfortable operating at the edge of absurdity.

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Red Means Go Faster

While the Rocket GTC Deep Red sounds like something born from a sketch on the back of a bar napkin, the design is as meticulously crafted as the engineering. Brabus fitted 21-inch front and 22-inch rear forged wheels with red aero discs, a nod to motorsport as much as fashion. A widebody kit with carbon-fiber splitters, diffusers, and vents keeps the big convertible planted at speed.

The interior continues the blood-red theme with quilted leather, Alcantara, and backlit Brabus branding stitched into nearly every surface. This balance of drama and restraint recalls another Brabus SL experiment, the Rocket GTS “Deep Blue” shooting brake—proof that no Mercedes is too sacred to escape transformation.

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Why Brabus Goes Beyond Cars

There’s a reason Brabus has become synonymous with Monterey spectacle: the brand understands luxury buyers don’t just want performance, they want exclusivity and theater. That’s why the company has stretched its empire beyond tuning, recently announcing ventures like Brabus-branded private island properties.

Against that backdrop, the Rocket GTC fits right in—part car, part status symbol, and part rolling billboard for how far the Brabus imagination can stretch. Monterey, after all, isn’t just about selling cars; it’s about selling lifestyle.

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Monterey’s Moment of Madness

In an event filled with priceless classics, debuting hypercars, and bespoke one-offs, Brabus carved its own niche with the Rocket GTC. It’s not meant to win over purists—it’s meant to prove that the “tuner car” still has a place among factory-fresh exotics and collector darlings.

The mix of ludicrous power, bespoke design, and shocking capability ensures the Rocket GTC stands out even in California’s crowded field of excess. Whether it’s a worthy evolution of the Mercedes SL or an over-the-top party trick is beside the point. In Monterey, the more outrageous the better—and Brabus delivered.