Hani Joudi 
Typically, a shooting brake takes the long-hood proportions and swept-back styling of an elegant coupe and raises the rear end to create a vehicle that remains classy but injects a dose of practicality. But sometimes, shooting brakes come out looking, well, a bit misshapen. Yet these oddball hatchbacks, such as the so-called “Clownshoe” BMW M Coupe, often carry more character than their sleeker counterparts. Now there’s another Frankenstein’s monster to add to the list, with Brabus, Mercedes-Benz’s tuning experts, revealing the sinister Rocket GTS last week.
Based on the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance coupe, the Brabus Rocket GTS looks like what we’d imagine Darth Vader’s helmet would be in car form. In fact, it bears a striking resemblance to a Hot Wheels toy that used that same prompt, with the beefy vertical strakes in the grille emulating the Sith Lord’s mouthpiece.
The biggest changes are at the rear, where the roofline now extends straight back before dropping sharply at the taillights. The body is crafted entirely from exposed carbon fiber, and the rear end features an aerodynamic look with a lip spoiler that flows from the sharp creases over the rear wheels. Brabus also tweaked the front bumper with more squared-off vents and a splitter that the company says is designed to reduce lift at high speeds.
The rear bumper has a diffuser and four exhaust pipes with an evil red glow, and the GTS measures over an inch wider than the coupe upon which it is based. Dramatic cuts in the front fenders help cool the brakes, which hide behind five-spoke monoblock wheels.
The hybrid powertrain pairs a twin-turbocharged 4.5-liter V-8 with an electric motor. The eight-cylinder’s displacement is increased by a half-liter compared with the engine in the standard GT63 S E Performance. All told, the Rocket GTS spits out 986 horsepower and is capable of up to 1342 pound-feet of torque, although Brabus says it limits output to 1195 pound-feet to protect the nine-speed automatic transmission.
Still, that’s a full 181 ponies and 148 pound-feet more than the standard Mercedes. Brabus says the Rocket GTS will rip to 62 mph in 2.6 seconds on its way to a 197-mph top speed (124 mph arrives in a claimed 9.5 seconds). The electric motor utilizes a two-speed transmission and draws energy from a lithium-ion battery with 4.8 kWh of usable capacity.
The cabin is nearly as snazzy as the exterior, with loads of carbon-fiber trim on the steering wheel, doors, and center console. There are also swaths of quilted leather on the seats and center armrest, as well as suede upholstery atop the dashboard. Brabus also designed custom luggage with the same leather look to fit in the new rear hatch. The Brabus Rocket GTS will start at the equivalent of $1 million at current conversion rates, several hundred thousand dollars more than the E Performance coupe that it’s based on.
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