Brabus-tuned Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S has 800 horsepower and a snout

German tuner Brabus specializes in giving Mercedes-Benz models a full makeover that's visually and audibly loud. Its latest build is a GLE63 S called the 800 that's brimming with more horsepower than Dodge's Durango SRT Hellcat.

Brabus increased the twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8's output to 800 horsepower, which represents about 197 more than stock. That's like injecting a little more than a Mazda MX-5 Miata's worth of power into the driveline. Torque checks in at 738 pound-feet, versus 627 in the standard GLE. New turbos are part of the modifications made.

Bolted to a nine-speed automatic transmission, the muscle-bound V8 sends the 800 from zero to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed electronically limited to 180 mph. It exhales through a stainless-steel exhaust system that lets it sing its sonorous anthem on the open road while keeping quiet when a "Coming Home" mode is engaged.

More power is a modification that's difficult to argue against, but the visual changes made to the GLE are more divisive. Riding on 23-inch wheels, the 800 gains a full body kit that includes a redesigned insert in the front bumper, a front splitter, fender flares, a rear wing, and a diffuser wrapped around four exhaust outlets. And then there's the grille: AMG's Panamericana design receives a pair of intakes that give the SUV a look that's a little Pumba-like. Subtle? Nope, but that's not the point. Brabus has never aimed to play it safe in order to keep everyone happy.

Pricing information for the Brabus 800 hasn't been published yet, but we can already tell you it won't be cheap. Mercedes-AMG charges $117,050 for the stock 2021 GLE63 S (including a mandatory $1,050 destination charge). The Brabus will be a fair sight more.