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Mar 17, 2025

This 15-Year-Old Sedan Is Still The Fastest Ever Made

Brabus is synonymous with outrageous renditions of already potent sports cars. It's uncommon for a car not to command a gut-churning power output and be laden with carbon fiber. One of their most

Brabus is synonymous with outrageous renditions of already potent sports cars. It's uncommon for a car not to command a gut-churning power output and be laden with carbon fiber. One of their most recent innovations envisions Mercedes-AMG's SL model as a stunning shooting brake model with 1,000 hp.

While its roots trace back to the creation of the Benz Patent Motorwagen in 1885, Mercedes-Benz was officially founded in June 1926 when Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie. (the world's oldest car company) merged to create Daimler-Benz. This German manufacturer of premium cars is historically known for its motorsport pedigree in early Grand Prix racing, its off-road prowess in the creation of military vehicles like the Genadewagen (now G-Class), and its focus on utmost luxury and technological innovation in models like the S-Class and SL. Today, it is one of the world's largest automakers.

Brabus has also created the world's fastest sedan, the Brabus E V12. Highly exclusive and outrageously powerful, it is also the fastest sedan in the world.

This article focuses on the Brabus E V12, specifically the fourth-generation iteration.

The world's fastest sedan was the fourth installment in a line of hardcore E-Class saloons with engines significantly larger than the undisturbed models they were based on. Brabus started with the Mercedes-AMG W124, which featured a 5.0-liter V12 engine that would be enlarged to 7.3 liters and stuffed into the W124-generation E-Class' engine bay.

After the W124, Brabus would unveil its successor, based on the W210 E-Class, which would secure the Guinness Book of Records award for the fastest four-door sedan and was also powered by the most powerful street-legal Mercedes engine. That engine was a 7.3-liter example of the Mercedes-Benz V12, which delivered a neck-spraining 582 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque that could propel the souped-up Mercedes up to 205 mph.

Brabus launches new models, all of which make more than 700 horsepower. Just pick whether you want a coupe, sedan, wagon, or SUV.

Power outputs would only continue to increase in the W211 generation that followed, which was the result of fitting a twin-turbocharger system to a 6.3-liter V12 engine that broke its predecessor's top speed by 12 mph, subsequently usurping the W210's record as the fastest four-door sedan. This was far from the W211's final form, revised to output 730 hp and limited to 811 lb-ft of torque.

Although it could muster even more torque, it was limited because of the strain it would have put on the transmission. A top speed of 227 mph would be achieved on the Nardo circuit. Still, all of these achievements and otherworldly power outputs would be overshadowed by the Brabus E V12, which was based on the Mercedes-Benz W212 E-Class and would become the most powerful member of its potent family tree and the world's fastest sedan.

Engine

6.3-liter, twin-turbocharged, V12

Horsepower

800 hp @ 5,500 rpm

Torque

1,047 lb-ft @ 2,100 rpm (limited to 811 lb-ft)

0-62

3.2 seconds

Top speed

230 mph

Unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Brabus E V12 is a dramatically reimagined version of the W212 Mercedes-AMG E-Class. Instead of the 5.5-liter V8 used in the standard model, Brabus would transfer the 5.0-liter V12 from the Mercedes-Benz W221 S600 and add almost an entire liter of displacement to the already potent power plant, a similarly sized V12 engine as the one used in the Brabus rendition of the Maybach S-Class. The 6.3-liter V12 engine would require a special crankshaft with a longer stroke, larger cylinder bore, larger precision-balanced pistons, and upgraded piston rods.

Brabus would develop an air intake and twin-turbocharged system in-house. The twin-turbocharged V12 would also utilize custom exhaust headers and four water-to-air intercoolers, with a free-flowing exhaust system retorting the 800-hp twin-turbocharged V12 engine's efforts. Beyond engine internals, the Brabus E V12 also employed specially programmed engine electronics for injection and ignition, which would help achieve its impressive power output and adhere to Euro 4 emissions standards.

Out of all the German tuners out there, Brabus stands out with lineup of crazy creations.

The 800 hp seems more than enough to cause the hairs on anyone's neck to stand upright, but what's even crazier is that all of its power was directed exclusively to the rear wheels. While torque was limited in the previous iterations and the Brabus E V12, a reinforced five-speed transmission was employed to cope with the increased torque output. At the same time, a high-performance limited-slip differential had a locking rate of 40%. Insane power outputs and a ludicrous top speed were somewhat accommodated by the state-of-the-art driving stability programs, which could be turned off (which we wouldn't recommend).

Besides its hardcore powertrain, the Brabus E V12 featured several aerodynamic elements from extensive wind tunnel testing. It was distinguished from the regular model based on a Brabus body kit made from high-strength, lightweight carbon fiber. The Brabus offshoot was 1.4 inches wider than the standard E-Class, while air vents were strewn across its muscular frame to divert air.

Capable of reaching speeds only some hypercars are capable of achieving, the Brabus E V12 features elements like wheel cowlings to divert air around the wheel arches. A muscular exterior design, an unrelenting powertrain, and a powerful engine were not the only standout features of the Brabus E V12; it also featured a sumptuous interior laden with quilted leather.

More than a decade since its unveiling, the Brabus E V12 is still the fastest four-door sedan ever created, even with the plethora of more powerful and capable sedans available in 2025. Even among some of the fastest sedans in 2025, the Brabus E V12 is still significantly faster than the fastest sedan in 2025, the Lucid Air Sapphire. Regarding power outputs, the all-electric Sapphire has significantly more power and a quicker 0-60 mph sprint time than the Brabus E V12, even in an armored form.

However, despite its higher power output, the Lucid Air Sapphire can reach a top speed of only 205 mph. Even outside the sedan segment, the Brabus E V12 is still faster than two members of the modern Holy Trinity, the Ferrari F80 and McLaren W1. However, it is just a few mph slower than the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Some of the supercars that the Brabus E V12 is faster than include the Lamborghini Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae, Aston Martin One-77, and Porsche 918 Spyder, to name a few.

Only 10 examples of the Brabus E V12 were ever created, and each was sold for roughly half a million euros, which is roughly $700,000 if adjusted for inflation and the current conversion rate. Sure, it's an exorbitant amount of money to pay for a car whose standout feature was a top speed that would be unreachable on most roads.

Limited to 25 examples only, this is the most powerful car Brabus ever made.

The Brabus E V12 remains the fastest four-door sedan ever made. Although its production ended years ago, Brabus has continued producing hardcore, high-horsepower cars, although some still lack any visual excitement even with the promise of 1,000 hp. Some recent examples include a 1,000 hp version of the Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance, which can reach 60 mph from a standstill in 3.1 seconds. Another noteworthy offering that rivals the Brabus E V12 is the Brabus Rocket 1000, a high-powered example of the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance. Even with abundant Brabus models available in 2025, the Brabus E V12 is still one of the coolest cars ever to wear the Brabus badge and one of the coolest sedans ever created.

Sources: Brabus

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Unfortunately I get speeding tickets in a 240D automatic ac on 5 adult passengers and going upnhill, so this would have to a wise "no!". I would be so in trouble. But pretty wild to think about it.

Seeing as I would get a ticket driving a 1980 240D automatic with ac on 5 adult passengers going up hill. So go figure I would be in a lots trouble. One can dream though.

An opulent four-door fastback, with a 950 hp twin-supercharged W16 engine. This was the Bugatti Galibier, the family car that almost happened.

M5 performance with added practicality. What's not to like?

These are trhen Japanese performance sedans that you've never heard of or have been lost to time.

The next baby AMG will have as much power as an M3, punching way above its weight (figuratively anyway).

Some of the best sports sedans ever made have come out of Germany, and many of them now cost less than a base-level 2025 BMW 3 Series.

Porsche may have gotten their design sketches all messed up in the studio. But today that first Panamera is a bargain - with 911 speed.