What you gonna do when Brabus comes for you?

IN case you didn’t know, Brabus is a German tuning company that specialises in Mercedes vehicles.

It has spawned some crazy machines like the Brabus 900 Superblack G63 and Brabus 900 Superblack GLS.

Or how about the insane Brabus Red Rocket that is powered by 3.8-litre, twin-turbo flat-six that produces 900bhp and 1,000Nm of torque.

But now Brabus has branched into electric vehicles, taking the mild-mannered Smart #1 and #3 and working its magic, making them look cooler, and turning them into electric-powered rocket ships with supercar acceleration times from 0-100kph in less than four seconds.

SMART

Smart #1 Brabus

I’M guilty of speed-reading messages, whether they be texts, on WhatsApp or emails.

So I got prematurely excited when I saw a mail coming through with the words Brabus and test drive offer.

But after reading through my email again I discovered the Brabus in question was a Smart car, the new #1, and all of the new generation of these are fully-electric.

The Smart #1 is hard to label as it’s the size of a supermini.

It’s got a hatchback but has a slightly raised suspension so SUV-like in its appearance.

But it’s more of a crossover in design as it’s not rugged-looking or built to be driven off-road, as it comes with rear-wheel drive only.

The Smart #1 Brabus is a different beast however.

It has dual motors, one on the front axle and one on the rear, that are powered by a 62kWh Lithium-ion battery that sends a total of 315kw to all four wheels.

So with 428bhp and 584Nm of instant torque the #1 Brabus produces supercar levels of performance.

It’s able to blitz 0-100kph in just 3.9 seconds — the same time as an iconic Ferrari F40.

But power is nothing without suspension that’s able to cope.

And the raised SUV-style suspension could benefit from being firmer when utilising all of that power, especially on twisty, undulating roads with fast sweeping corners.

The brakes cope well but I’m not sure how they’d handle sustained abuse if you were on a track.

There are different driving modes and the dash graphics on the central 12.8-inch screen are really cool.

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You view a virtual world that rotates when you select different modes — on Eco you see a city with wind turbines and solar panels, for Sport you are on a roller coaster.

Then Brabus mode transports you to a racetrack and this is the most potent of modes and not for the faint-hearted as at times the acceleration is so instant.

But in Brabus mode the steering feel is improved and everything feels much more alive — you’re involved in the driving experience so much more.

Brabus have also fitted some interesting computer-generated engine sounds, Original, Classic, Interstellar and Explore.

And they really help reconnect you to the car instead of speeding up and slowing down in silence.

The #1 Brabus boot is rather small, though, for a compact SUV, only 313 litres — but that rises to 976 litres with the rear seats folded down.

SMART

Smart #3 Brabus

THE Smart #3 is the bigger brother of the #1 and is also the Brabus version.

The #3 is 100mm longer, 22mm wider, and 80mm lower, and it not only looks better with its sleeker dimensions, but it also handles much better.

The torsional rigidity has been increased by fitting thicker stabiliser bars and the suspension and steering adjustments have been tweaked.

So the #3 Brabus feels more sure of itself when cornering and driving at speed.

And like the #1 Brabus, the #3 Brabus is also a fully-electric rocket ship.

It’s powered by the same 62kWh battery that drives dual motors, front and rear, so the #3 Brabus is all-wheel drive.

And it needs all the grip it can muster as it produces a very impressive 428bhp and 543Nm of instant torque.

From a standing start the #3 Brabus will launch down the road at an alarming rate, taking just 3.7 seconds to hit 100kph, making it even faster than the #1 Brabus.

And it will continue to charge on to a top speed of 180kph.

And speaking of charging, it supports 22kW AC charging and 150kW DC charging so you can go from 10-80 per cent in just 30 minutes.

It’s a very impressive machine to drive, especially in its most potent setting, Brabus mode, and despite tipping the scales at 1,910kg, it hides its weight well.

The #3 Brabus has a range of 415km and in the real world and in cold weather you’re looking at around 380km.

Inside, the #3 is fully loaded with a central 12.8-inch touchscreen and 9.2-inch HD display for the driver, plus loads of Brabus goodies.

Not known, clear with picture desk

The microfibre suede seats are figure-hugging, heated, of course, and electrically-operated.

Plus you also get an Alcantara Sports steering wheel, sport style pedals, ambient lighting and loads more.

It comes loaded with the latest safety features fitted as standard, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist and blind-spot monitoring, which earned it a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

But on the flip side, the driver warning will drive you mad.

Take your eyes off the road for more than a couple of seconds, or adjust some settings on the infotainment screen, and the car will start shouting at you to keep your eyes on the road.

If the Smart designers were so smart, they should have left behind a few buttons or knobs so you could do something simple like turn the heating up or down without having to use a touchscreen to do so.

It’s like being married and being constantly nagged by your other half when half the time you don’t even know what you’ve done wrong.