Brabus goes mad, tunes Mercedes-Benz Sprinter!

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Well, we've finally seen everything (or at least everything up to this week). Brabus, the German tuner whose specialty is finding ways to make Mercedes-Benz products move more rapidly than the factory engineers ever intended, has tuned the Sprinter.

You know the Sprinter. It's DaimlerChrysler's tall commercial van that can be found sporting Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, or Freightliner badging as it performs its everyday duties. Those usually involve delivering packages to businesses, people to airports, and the like. In the press release included after the jump, you'll read of tuning kits for both diesel and gasoline versions of the ungainly-looking machine. We'll focus on the power package for the gasoline V6, whose displacement is increased from 3.5 to 4.0 liters, and which belts out a post-Brabus 310 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. A stainless exhaust with sporty chrome tips rounds out the under-the-skin upgrades.

Naturally, the tuner doesn't stop there, and they offer a full range of visual enhancements such as new wheels,a foglight-encristed front bumper, and fully customized interiors. Heck, it sounds like the ride to the airport in a Brabus-modified Sprinter could be a lot more interesting than the plane flight home. You can read more details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Brabus]


GALLERY
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PRESS RELEASE:
World Premiere at the ESSEN-MOTOR-SHOW 2006

Transforming a Carrier Van into a Powerful Luxury Van:
BRABUS Refines the New Mercedes Sprinter

Transforming a carrier van into a powerful luxury van: That is the guideline for BRABUS for refining the new Mercedes Sprinter. The extensive program
comprises powerful engine tuning, an exclusive appearance upgrade, custom-tailored light-
alloy wheels and interior options that include fully customized business and multimedia
packages.

For the diesel models BRABUS also offers engine tuning backed by the one-of-a-kind
BRABUS Tuning Warranty� of three years up to 100,000 kilometers (see BRABUS warranty
conditions as of June 2003). The PowerXtra performance kits are designed to harmonize
perfectly with the standard diesel particulate filters, and to achieve exhaust emissions on the
identically low level of the production vehicles.

For the 2.2-liter CDI engine of the 215, 315 and 415 CDI models BRABUS offers its
PowerXtra D3 (III) performance kit. The kit can be installed by any authorized Mercedes-
Benz dealer in about 30 minutes, and turns the common-rail turbodiesel engine into a high-
torque power pack. At 2,000 rpm it produces a peak torque of 380 Nm; enough pulling power
to easily handle just about any traffic situation. Maximum power output increases from
standard 150 hp / 110 kW to 180 hp / 132 kW at 4,000 rpm.

For the top-of-the-line turbodiesel models Sprinter 218, 318 and 418 CDI BRABUS has
designed the PowerXtra D6 (III) performance kit. It bumps maximum power output to 224 hp
/ 165 kW and produces a bullish peak torque of 480 Nm between 1,600 and 2,600 rpm. That
makes the performance-tuned Sprinter � empty or loaded � a prime example for the kind of
elasticity that promotes relaxed driving without constant downshifting.

For increasing power of the top-of-the-line Sprinter models 224, 324 and 424 BRABUS offers
its proven method of increasing engine displacement. Displacement of the gasoline V6
engine is increased from 3.5 to 4.0 liters, which results in an increase in power output from
258 hp / 190 kW to 310 hp / 228 kW. In combination with a peak torque that grows from
standard 340 to 400 Nm at 4,200 rpm the BRABUS 4.0 engine delivers plenty of punch in
any situation.
BRABUS also offers a stainless-steel exhaust trim with two chromed tailpipes for the stock
exhausts of all engine variants of the new Mercedes Sprinter.

Striking design is the hallmark of the BRABUS body components for the Mercedes Sprinter.
Custom-tailored headlamp inserts for an additional high beam and fog lamp left and right
give the Sprinter a more refined appearance and further improve active safety. The BRABUS
designers have further developed a high-gloss upgrade for the production front bumper.

The BRABUS fender flares add 30 millimeters to the Sprinter's width on the front and rear
axles, and give the vehicle an even more bullish appearance. They also make room for
BRABUS Monoblock E 8Jx18 wheels that were custom-developed for the Sprinter. The
sporty-exclusive design with nine strikingly styled spokes and polished drop center is
designed to handle the extreme wheel loads without any problems. The wheels are mounted
with Pirelli or YOKOHAMA high-performance tires in size 255/55 R 18.

BRABUS also offers exclusive appointments for the Sprinter's spacious interior, custom-
tailored to individual customers' requests in the company-own upholstery shop. Among them
are fully leather interiors crafted from especially soft yet breathable BRABUS Mastik leather,
and attractive accessories such as high-quality floor mats with BRABUS logo and aluminum
door-lock pins and foot-pedal pads.

The rear compartment of the van offers numerous possibilities for individual customization.
BRABUS can transform it into a comfortable and exclusive conference room or fully
functional office on wheels. The Sprinter also provides an ideal playground for creating a
multimedia studio on wheels with state-of-the-art entertainment technology.