Special Edition Brabus Fortwo PHOTO GALLERY

At next week's Frankfurt Motor Show, Smart will display the fruits of its partnership with Swedish clothing brand WeSC (We are the Superlative Conspiracy), the "Smart Brabus tailor made by WeSC” and the “headphones for the Smart by WeSC”.

The Brabus Fortwo special is painted in gold shades all over, partly matte, partly high-gloss, while riding on jet-black alloy wheels. Other features include the leather Brabus sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles and additional standard equipment such as the air conditioning system.

There are no mechanical changes to the car, which is powered by the Brabus-prepped 102-horsepower (75 kW) petrol engine with turbocharging.

Smart noted the gold-plated horse-head knob that adorns the shift lever of the WeSC showcar is a one-off item and will not be available for order.

PHOTO GALLERY

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster,

For the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster, the German firm has developed an extensive customization program to take care of both the styling and performance aspects of the car.

Brabus says it is currently working on more extreme engine upgrades but for the time being, an available kit promises an increase of 26-horsepower and an additional 30Nm (22 lb-ft) of peak torque for the SLK 200 BlueEFFICIENCY.

There are two available performance packages for the SLK 250 BlueEFFICIENCY. The first kit bumps output from 204HP to 230HP, while the second package lifts output to 240-horses and 370Nm (273 lb-ft) for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 248km/h (154mph).

Those looking for a deeper exhaust note can order a stainless-steel sport exhaust system with quad tailpipes. Brabus will also add a sports suspension that lowers the two-seater model's ride height by some 30 mm (1.2-inches) and a high-performance braking system.

On the outside, the German company has developed several aerodynamic components including a front bumper with spoiler lips, side sills, a rear diffuser with a centrally mounted rear reflector and a boot lid spoiler.

There are several alloy wheel designs to choose from ranging in size from 17- to 20-inches. The larger rims are shod in high-performance tires from Continental, Pirelli or YOKOHAMA in sizes 235/30 ZR 20 on the front axle and 275/25 ZR 20 at the back.

Finally, Brabus offers a variety of interior upgrades ranging from high-gloss polished stainless-steel scuff plates and aluminum foot pedals and shifter to bespoke leather treatments.

PHOTO GALLERY

Mercedes-Benz tuning specialist Brabus is the first company to develop a multimedia system based on the new Apple iPad 2

Mercedes-Benz tuning specialist Brabus is the first company to develop a multimedia system based on the new Apple iPad 2. The tuning house integrated the new tablet computer in the rear compartment of the Brabus 800, which is a heavily modified V12-powered S-Class sporting 800 ponies and supercar-humiliating performance numbers.

The iPad2 controls the on-board entertainment system and allows the rear passengers to access all functions of the S-Class' Comand system, with the iBusiness 2.0 also being capable of video conferences, thanks to the integrated cameras.

Brabus engineers devised a way to integrate one or two tablet computers by creating a custom-tailored table that can be folded into the backrest of the front seat. The iPad 2 is connected via a WiFi network to a Mini Mac located in the car's trunk that serves as the central computer.

Tablet computers aside, the Brabus iBusiness 2.0 is fitted with a 15.2-inch TFT display, fixed on the ceiling between the front seats, as well as with two screens mounted in the back of the front seats. The screens can be used for watching TV or other program sources. The car also gets a 64GB Apple iPod touch that can store more than 14,000 songs. The interior is decorated with Brabus Yachting wood-trim and two-tone leather all around for a luxurious atmosphere.

The iBusiness 2.0 multimedia package can be installed in any S-Class model, from the S 350 to the S 65 AMG. The latter and the S 600 can also be upgraded to Brabus 800 V12 Biturbo spec, with the engine developing 800 horsepower and 1,420 Nm of torque (1,047 lb-ft). These figures allow for a 350 km/h (217 mph) top speed and a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of just 3.9 seconds.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY