An exercise in overkill, the Brabus Ultimate 125 is a heavily modified Smart ForTwo. And we mean heavily modified. On show in Geneva is the cabriolet version, but the German tuner will also sell you a coupe of the hardcore limited-run edition described by its creator as a two-seater supercar.
OK, that's perhaps an exaggeration: the pint-sized model only has 125 horsepower and 147 lb-ft from its upgraded turbocharged 0.9-litre engine. It’s enough Brabus muscle to allow the cutesy baby blue car run to 62 mph from a standstill in 9.2 seconds en route to an electronically capped 109 mph.
The styling is much more supercar though. The aftermarket specialists have given the Smart a complete makeover. To match the extra grunt coming from the engine bay, Brabus has slapped on its beefy wide body kit and installed large 18-inch alloys, which are among the lightest ones of this size in the world. The ones at the front tip the scales at 6.7 kilograms and come with 205/35 R18 high-performance tyres, while the back ones weigh 7.1 kg and are paired with 235/30 R18 rubber.
Without any doubt, the pièce de résistance is at the back where the three exhaust tips remind us of the Ferrari 458 Italia.
The striking Blu Glauco theme continues on the inside where the leather upholstery has received the same hue combined with black leather on some of the areas to provide a contrasting effect. The swanky door sills come with 'Brabus' lettering illuminated in red, while the stainless steel pedals and footrest along with the velour floor mats complete the package.
The name of the car reflects not only the output provided by the engine, but also the amount of cars set to be made: 125. Go for the coupe and you’ll have to write Brabus a check for €49,980 (about £43,150). Should you want to experience droptop thrills, that’ll be €52,800 (£45,600). For that kind of money, you could buy a brand new 2017 Mercedes-AMG C43 saloon in the UK from £45,340. You decide…
The Brabus Ultimate 125 will receive its public debut this week at the Geneva Motor Show where the tuner’s Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet is also going to be displayed.
Source: Brabus
Gallery: Smart ForTwo Cabrio by Brabus
World premiere at the Geneva Auto Show 2017
BRABUS ULTIMATE 125
The ultimate city sports car
Equally exclusive and dynamic city sports cars built in limited editions have a successful history at BRABUS. That is why there is now a new power two-seater from BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777-0, fax + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777 111, Internet www.brabus.com) that is celebrating its world premiere at the Geneva Auto Show 2017: The BRABUS ULTIMATE 125 is built based on the smart fortwo or the smart fortwo cabrio.
As the name indicates, this two-seater is a supercar with an output of 92 kW / 125 HP (123 bhp) and a top speed of 175 km/h (109 mph), built in a limited production run of just 125 consecutively numbered vehicles.
The BRABUS ULTIMATE 125 continues an equally long and successful tradition. It began in 2004 with the ULTIMATE 101, the first limited edition of the special models from BRABUS, which all sold out completely. The success story continued with the equally popular editions of the ULTIMATE 112, ULTIMATE R, ULTIMATE style and ULTIMATE 120.
The new BRABUS ULTIMATE 125 city sports car is the first vehicle in this line to be based on the new smart fortwo generation. The exclusive equipment ranges from the special paint finish tailored to customer preferences and the WIDESTAR widebody version with forged BRABUS Monoblock Y 18-inch wheels to the exclusive all-leather interior in any imaginable color.
The suggested retail prices for a BRABUS ULTIMATE 125 start at 49,980 euro for the Coupe and at 52,800 euro for the Cabriolet.
Vehicle 001/125 of the ULTIMATE 125 small series, which is on display at the Geneva Auto Show 2017, is an eye-catcher par excellence with its perfect Blu Glauco special paint finish, a bright turquois. Part of this effect comes of course courtesy of the thrilling BRABUS WIDESTAR bodywork. As the name indicates, it is a widebody version with flared fenders at the front and rear axle, which create space for 18-inch wheels at all four corners. The largest consequently possible tire/wheel combination is beyond unusual for a car of this category. The new BRABUS Monoblock Y wheels with nine spokes tapering off into the outer rim flange in the shape of a “Y” are fitted on the front axle in size 7Jx18 and shod with size 205/35 R 18 high-performance tires. Size 8Jx18 wheels with 235/30 R 18 tires at the rear put the power of the engine down on the asphalt with optimal efficiency. Weighing just 6.7 and 7.1 kilograms, respectively, the BRABUS Monoblock Y wheels for the ULTIMATE 125 are some of the lightest 18-inch wheels on the market worldwide. The show car in Geneva sports the wheels in the combination glossy black/polished on one side and a black painted variant with pin striping in Blu Glauco vehicle color on the other side of the vehicle.
The lowered BRABUS sport suspension is specifically tuned to the ultra-low-profile tires and the wider track. It combines direct and equally safe and agile handling with the desired ride quality.
The BRABUS designers round off the sporty appearance of the widebody version with a front spoiler, rocker panels and rear diffuser, all manufactured from PUR in OEM quality.
This prepares the ULTIMATE 125 perfectly for the powerful BRABUS three-cylinder turbo engine. The power plant with a displacement of 898 cc (54.8 cu in) is fitted in the BRABUS engine shop with a modified intake system, an even more efficient intercooler and a recalibrated engine control unit. In keeping with its name, the ultimate city sports car puts a peak output of 92 kW / 125 HP (123 bhp) at 5,550 rpm at the disposal of its driver. However, even more important for daily driving is the peak torque of 200 Nm (147 lb-ft), outstanding for a car of this category, and on tap at a low 2,000 rpm.
The gears of the BRABUS ULTIMATE 125 are shifted automatically or manually like in Formula 1 racing with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Reprogrammed transmission electronics shorten the shift times.
With a sprint time from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) of just 9.2 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 175 km/h (109 mph), the exclusive city sports car also sets benchmarks in its category in this discipline.
The dynamic driving experience is accompanied acoustically by the BRABUS stainless sport exhaust system, which was designed specifically for the new special model. The BRABUS ULTIMATE diffuser provides the perfect backdrop for the three center-exiting chromed tailpipes.
The ULTIMATE 125 also sports exquisite highlights in the cockpit. Large parts of the interior of the Cabriolet on display in Geneva are covered with especially soft and breathable BRABUS Mastik leather, which was precisely color-coordinated with the vehicle paintwork. This includes the seats and the center sections of the door panels. For contrast, parts of the interior such as the top of the dashboard were covered with black leather. The precise honeycomb quilting with pinpoint accuracy sports the same black color.
Details such as the instrument for rev counter and clock mounted on top of the dashboard, the vent surrounds, the instrument cluster surround, the turn signal and windscreen wiper stalks and the door handle recesses are also all painted in vehicle color. The BRABUS stainless pedals plus the aluminum shift knob and emergency brake lever add a touch of racing looks to the cockpit. Other exclusive features of this special model are the tailor-made scuff plates with BRABUS ULTIMATE 125 logo, illuminated in red or white like the stainless footrest in the driver footwell. Classy velour floor mats with BRABUS logo round off the exquisite ambience.
Climate control system, radio and navigation system are of course part of the standard equipment of the exclusive two-door car from Bottrop. The choice of colors for the bodywork to suit the vehicle owner’s preferences is just as endless at BRABUS as the choice of interior design and the color of the soft top.
Fuel economy, CO2 emissions and efficiency class
BRABUS ULTIMATE 125 based on the smart fortwo: city 5.2 l/100 km, highway 4.1 l/100 km, combined: 4.5 l/100 km. Combined CO2 emissions: 102 g/km, efficiency class B.