Brabus, that wild and crazy German tuning company, has taken the current Mercedes G-Class (we prefer to use the old G-Wagen name, though) and turned it into the wildest pickup truck we've ever seen.
The Brabus 800 Adventure XLP (and yes, we're considering having our names changed to that by deed poll) uses the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine as the standard G 63 AMG, but ramps up power to unheard of levels - 800hp and 1,000Nm of torque. That extra power comes primarily from bigger turbos and a unique Brabus engine management system, but there's also a sports exhaust, a modified block, and more robust bearings.
Explosive performance
The result is explosive - 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, and the top speed is only limited to 210km/h because of the massive all-season tyres. There's four-wheel drive, of course, and the nine-speed automatic gearbox gets race-car style aluminium paddle shifters for those times when you want to take over from the electrons.
To turn the G-Wagen into a pickup, Brabus inserts an extra 50cm into the wheelbase, bringing the overall length to 5.31 metres. Impressively, Brabus claims that the extra length hasn't compromised the car's torsional rigidity.
The bodywork is then created from a mixture of high-tech carbon-fibre and good-old-fashioned sheet steel. There's a whole new rear wall and glass for the back of the crew-cab, and a load-bed floor made from flexible, strong, teak.
For its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, Brabus has given the 800 Adventure XLP a luggage roof rack, a carbon wind deflector, and massive LED roof lights. The Geneva car is in 'First Edition' spec with Rocket silver matte paint.
Portal axles
But this isn't just an engine and paint job. Oh no. Brabus has given the 800 high-lift suspension with portal axles (which allow the drivetrain components to be tucked up close to the body). Some of the components for these massive suspension parts are actually milled from solid blocks of aluminium. There's also adaptive damping provided by Brabus Ride Control coil-over suspension, which is controlled by the usual Mercedes Dynamic Select switch in the cabin. The suspension is also fully height adjustable.
Underneath, there are massive 22-inch wheels with 325-section Pirelli Scorpion off-road tyres. These are partially covered by huge carbon wheelarch extensions, which make this Brabus car a full 11cm wider than the standard G-Wagen.
You want more? You can have more. How about underbody protection and an optional winch that can haul 4,500kg of weight? There are also side running boards which, at night, are lit up by LED lights built into the wheelarches.
Built-in drone companion
But wait, there's more. How about your own drone? Brabus has paired up with German drone specialist Wingcopter to give the 800 its own aerial companion. It takes off an lands from a special module in the load bed, and this is no child's toy. It's a proper tilt-rotor craft, which can reach speeds of up to 240km/h and travel for as much as 120km. It can even carry a load of up to 120kg. According to Brabus: "In a wide range of emergencies, the Wingcopter can bring food, equipment or medications autonomously and quickly to injured or lost people or can supply rescue teams with urgently needed extrication tools. This also allows reaching canyons or mountain regions that would be out of reach even with this extremely off-road capable Brabus all-wheel-drive pickup."
Now, where do we sign?