If you wanna give your S550 a nip and tuck rather than a complete facelift,
Brabus can oblige…if you’ve got major capital.

Story WILLIE G. /// Photography TRAVIS SHINN

Historically, hip-hop has created cool by taking something ordinary and putting a different spin on it; whether custom-designed Dunks or chromed-out dubs, originality is the name of the game. So it’s hard not to think that the end is near when your favorite rapper proudly states that his ultra-high-end ride is straight from the factory. But while the lack of personalization might make for boring Bentleys and blasé Bimmers, anyone who’s shattered an oil pan on the Major Deegan or fractured a rim on the 405 knows that getting dealerships to work on modified cars is a headache. And that’s just the beginning. After dropping major cash on a machine with more structural engineering and electrical work than most mansions, how can you be sure the shop isn’t going to ruin your whip?

Thankfully, there are alternatives; with dealer-compatible tuners such as Mercedes Benz’s Brabus, “dealer fresh” doesn’t have to mean cookie-cutter anymore. Founded in 1977 by Bodo Buschmann, this German-based tuner performs its high-tech research, development and styling/design a mere stone’s toss from the Autobahn. With everything from highly-tuned, larger displacement engines to small, detailed interior trim, Brabus serves up a deliciously tempting à la carte menu of dealer-installed options—and their latest offerings for the S-Class are no exception.

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