Dating back to 1986, BRABUS is a world-famous tuning firm headquartered out of Bottrop, Germany. The shop is best known for its high-power engines, bespoke cabins, and carbon-trimmed aero kits, though for its latest work — a bespoke modern-day shooting brake known as the BRABUS Rocket GTS — it didn’t merely add some aero elements to a donor vehicle, but rather delivered a fairly comprehensive redesign that’s been brought to life from the ground up in exposed carbon fiber.
The Basics
Part of BRABUS’ 2025 Collection, the Rocket GTS is based on the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance, though the already-potent two-door is now a far cry from its former self after an extensive series of upgrades, both inside and out. Everything from its engine to its suspension and wheels to its interior to its bodywork has been heavily reworked — with a spare-no-expense approach used throughout.
Under The Hood
The Rocket GTS doesn’t just look the part, as this hyper hot hatch shows as well as it goes. Under the hood, the car packs a BRABUS-tuned twin-turbocharged 4.5-liter V8 engine that’s cranks out 796hp. Bolted to an automatic or paddle-shifted nine-speed Sports transmission, the Rocket GTS’ twin-turbo V8 has also been paired with a hybrid drive system comprised of a 150-kW synchronous motor at the rear axle and a 6.1 kWh Lithium-ion battery.
Power & Performance
Good for an extra 204hp, this hybrid drive system brings the shooting brake’s total power output up to 1,342ft-lbs of torque and an even 1,000hp — figures that allow it to deliver 2.7-second 0-60mph runs and a top speed of 197mph. Gaining an extra half-liter of displacement over the AMG GT63 S E Performance, BRABUS’ engine work results in a major bump in numbers from the stock AMG’s 831hp and 1,000ft-lbs of torque.
A Carbon Fiber Clown Shoe
The Rocket GTS’ most striking feature is undoubtedly its new custom suite of bodywork. This transformative in-house redesign began with the Benz being reconfigured as a shooting brake before the design was bestowed with flared, widebody-style fenders at all four corners, various functional intake scoops to cool the engine and brakes, and an advanced aero kit that helps keep the clown shoe pinned to the tarmac. This aggressive shooting brake design was then brought to life entirely in carbon fiber that’s left on full display throughout. The entire vehicle rides on a set of BRABUS’ Monoblock P “PLATINUM EDITION” five spoke center-locking wheels which are precision machined from solid blocks of billet before being fitted with carbon aero-disc covers.
The Cabin
Just like the outside of the car, the Rocket GTS’ cabin has also been radically transformed in BRABUS’ signature style. Decked out in an exposed carbon trim package that matches the exposed weave on the car’s exterior, the interior now boasts bespoke seats with light gray decorative topstitching and millimeter-precise quilting in the tuner’s Seashell Diamond design — a motif also extending to parts of the door trim, the center console, and the floors of the cockpit and luggage compartment. Capitalizing on the newfound storage space at the aft-end of the shooting brake, BRABUS has also bestowed the Rocket GTS with a bespoke suite of luggage that’s trimmed in the same Seashell Diamond pattern as the interior and designed to perfectly fit in the trunk of the car.
What Makes It So Special
In the 1960s and ‘70s it was much more common to see coach builders reconfigure sports cars into more practical yet still performance-focused shooting brakes — such as the Lamborghini Flying Star I or the Ferrari 330 GT 2 2 Vignale Shooting Brake and 365 GTB4 Daytona Shooting Brake. This trend has largely fallen by the wayside, which is one of several factors that play key roles in making BRABUS’ shooting brake-ified Benz so special. Plus, when shooting brake conversions are carried out, these transformations are more commonly bestowed upon Italian and British-built vehicles, rather than a Mercedes. Like every BRABUS vehicle, the Rocket GTS’ interior also plays a pivotal role in making it so elite and so noteworthy, as does the 1,000 horses it has contained under the hood.
Spec Sheet
Class: Limited Edition Hyper Shooting Brake
Model Year: 2025
Brand: BRABUS
Model: Rocket GTS
Donor: Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance
Body: Carbon Fiber
Engine: Twin-Turbocharged 4.5L V8 Hybrid
Transmission: Automatic or Paddle-Shifted 9-Speed Sports
Power: 1,000HP & 1,342FT-LBs
0-60MPH Time: 2.7 Seconds
Top Speed: 197MPH
Pricing & Availability
Produced in extremely limited numbers, the BRABUS Rocket GTS is available for order now, and while pricing is only available upon request, we anticipate a price tag in the ballpark of seven figures.
Recap
BRABUS Rocket GTS
BRABUS turns the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance into a custom, carbon widebody shooting brake with 1,000hp on tap, a 197-mph top speed, and a 0-60mph time of just 2.7 seconds.
