Brabus B600 v AMG GTS on the autoroute

[Engadine]

A bit of fun today. I was pootling along a nice autoroute in France at around 85mph when a AMG GT came right up my behind. I was overtaking two trucks, and planned to move over after the second one. In a mellow mood, four adults in my Brabus 600 C63S, plus luggage and champagne.

Not good enough for the Paris-registered GT who swung into the inside lane, undertook me and then squeezed between lorry 2 and the front of my bonnet.

I sighed, held back to give us some space, and carried on. But in the way of these two lane French motorways I kept coming up behind him when he was slowed down by slower traffic.

Finally when the road opened up traffic free, he kicked down and sped off. I am always mindful of French motorway cops but..what the hell. His bootlid badge had revealed he was a AMG GTS. Would my hp advantage be enough to overcome my weight and aero penalty (I was also four up)?

It was surprisingly, remarkably easy to overtake him. He moved over and by the time we were in good three figure speeds, I was going past him. It was so easy that a couple of times (this happened a few times, I would always ease off after getting ahead and he would zip past, giving me a dirty look) I even tried it in 7th from 80mph rather than kickdown. Still overhauled him.

He was very annoyed, which I am surprised at. A GTS owner should be enough of a connoisseur to respect a Brabus. But I am also surprised by the performance difference at high speed.

Anyway, a bit of fun. .

 

[Jobsworth]

600bhp tune in these cars is absolutely ridiculous. I love mine.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

A bit of fun today. I was pootling along a nice autoroute in France at around 85mph when a AMG GT came right up my behind. I was overtaking two trucks, and planned to move over after the second one. In a mellow mood, four adults in my Brabus 600 C63S, plus luggage and champagne.

Not good enough for the Paris-registered GT who swung into the inside lane, undertook me and then squeezed between lorry 2 and the front of my bonnet.

I sighed, held back to give us some space, and carried on. But in the way of these two lane French motorways I kept coming up behind him when he was slowed down by slower traffic.

Finally when the road opened up traffic free, he kicked down and sped off. I am always mindful of French motorway cops but..what the hell. His bootlid badge had revealed he was a AMG GTS. Would my hp advantage be enough to overcome my weight and aero penalty (I was also four up)?

It was surprisingly, remarkably easy to overtake him. He moved over and by the time we were in good three figure speeds, I was going past him. It was so easy that a couple of times (this happened a few times, I would always ease off after getting ahead and he would zip past, giving me a dirty look) I even tried it in 7th from 80mph rather than kickdown. Still overhauled him.

He was very annoyed, which I am surprised at. A GTS owner should be enough of a connoisseur to respect a Brabus. But I am also surprised by the performance difference at high speed.

Anyway, a bit of fun. .

He’ll be heading to Bottrop next…

 

[Steve84N]

@Engadine if you don't have the odd naughty moment then really what's the point of having a Brabus.

The French have a nasty habit of pulling out to overtake at the very last moment, almost going into the back of whatever is in the way. The English have the opposite problem. He probably felt aggrieved that you had the foresight to pull out in good time. Fingers well and truly burnt though, haha!

 

[bolidemichael]

This does touch on a nuance of French multi-lane driving that I don't feel has been represented or acknowledged accurately here.

I should add, in case this post is misinterpreted as deliberately antagonistic, that I love the post and the squirty throttle derring-do! Also, of the comparison between the two vehicles (can you post a pic of your Brabus?).

The French always (well, almost) pull right when not overtaking -- this is possibly why the AMG GT was annoyed at your absence of discipline/respect, as you were making him wait at the expense of your leisure (though one cannot discount good old willy waving).

The flipside (as touched upon in #4), is that when a driver in a right hand lane is approaching a slower moving vehicle (usually a lorry), they'll pull out irrespective of your speed (pretty much). The implicit understanding here is that every one works together to keep the roads flowing.

As the overtaking vehicle in the left hand land (in the two lane scenario), it is up to you to anticipate the closing speed of the vehicle in the scenario as described above and it is courteous to either speed up in time to clear the space for the overtaking slower vehicle, or hang back, await the inevitable overtake and the inevitable move back to the right hand lane.

It is a different mentality and for me (with a faster car than most on the road), a preferable mode of managing shared road space rather than the UK's 'road captain' approach of waiting for a slower overtaking vehicle to finish a prolonged overtake, when the space is there for them to move over and allow the faster following vehicle to pass and be gone.

 

[Engadine]

This does touch on a nuance of French multi-lane driving that I don't feel has been represented or acknowledged accurately here.

I should add, in case this post is misinterpreted as deliberately antagonistic, that I love the post and the squirty throttle derring-do! Also, of the comparison between the two vehicles (can you post a pic of your Brabus?).

The French always (well, almost) pull right when not overtaking -- this is possibly why the AMG GT was annoyed at your absence of discipline/respect, as you were making him wait at the expense of your leisure (though one cannot discount good old willy waving).

The flipside (as touched upon in #4), is that when a driver in a right hand lane is approaching a slower moving vehicle (usually a lorry), they'll pull out irrespective of your speed (pretty much). The implicit understanding here is that every one works together to keep the roads flowing.

As the overtaking vehicle in the left hand land (in the two lane scenario), it is up to you to anticipate the closing speed of the vehicle in the scenario as described above and it is courteous to either speed up in time to clear the space for the overtaking slower vehicle, or hang back, await the inevitable overtake and the inevitable move back to the right hand lane.

It is a different mentality and for me (with a faster car than most on the road), a preferable mode of managing shared road space rather than the UK's 'road captain' approach of waiting for a slower overtaking vehicle to finish a prolonged overtake, when the space is there for them to move over and allow the faster following vehicle to pass and be gone.

Oh I would totally agree with this. I grew up and spent years living working and driving in France. Autoroutes are still my favourite motorway type in the world. Those privately funded surfaces and engineering...the lane discipline..just a shame about the post Chirac policing.

I remember the turning point, launch of the E60 M5 near Toulouse and a driveback, 2005, one journalist got stopped and instant ban on the A5 north of Troyes, and had to take a train home, press car impounded. That junket was the last time I hit 150+ with no stress in France. Now, no way.

In the above episode I was overtaking two lorries closely following each other. They were doing maybe 60, I was at 85, and it would have been bizarre for me to move in between them. It’s also true that the AMG GTS driver was more out of the 1980s autoroute playbook than now.

Anyway as someone said, he can get a nice Brabus 650hp conversion and be more at ease with himself. Or just buy the LHD Brabus Rocket in the other thread.

 

[Jobsworth]

I love the Belgians. They literally flick the indicator with their finger as they turn the wheel to pull out. No prior warning at all. They all seem to do it.

 

[Engadine]

This does touch on a nuance of French multi-lane driving that I don't feel has been represented or acknowledged accurately here.

I should add, in case this post is misinterpreted as deliberately antagonistic, that I love the post and the squirty throttle derring-do! Also, of the comparison between the two vehicles (can you post a pic of your Brabus?).

The French always (well, almost) pull right when not overtaking -- this is possibly why the AMG GT was annoyed at your absence of discipline/respect, as you were making him wait at the expense of your leisure (though one cannot discount good old willy waving).

The flipside (as touched upon in #4), is that when a driver in a right hand lane is approaching a slower moving vehicle (usually a lorry), they'll pull out irrespective of your speed (pretty much). The implicit understanding here is that every one works together to keep the roads flowing.

As the overtaking vehicle in the left hand land (in the two lane scenario), it is up to you to anticipate the closing speed of the vehicle in the scenario as described above and it is courteous to either speed up in time to clear the space for the overtaking slower vehicle, or hang back, await the inevitable overtake and the inevitable move back to the right hand lane.

It is a different mentality and for me (with a faster car than most on the road), a preferable mode of managing shared road space rather than the UK's 'road captain' approach of waiting for a slower overtaking vehicle to finish a prolonged overtake, when the space is there for them to move over and allow the faster following vehicle to pass and be gone.

Here are some pix of the Brabus, from last summer. The speedo readout is mph, roof down, from a video by my long suffering daughter

 

[bolidemichael]

Heading home from le mans on a quiet summer morning in 2019. Bliss.

 

[SW18]

I love the Belgians. They literally flick the indicator with their finger as they turn the wheel to pull out. No prior warning at all. They all seem to do it.

I am amazed by Belgian driving every time I visit, no-one seems to obey rules, not even truck drivers. I've spent less time there the last 5-10 years so maybe its improving.

Part of the issue was always said to be the lack of any driving test before 1977: Belgium was by some way the last Western European nation to introduce one. This article is old but quite a good overview of the history. Belgium Launches Drive for Safer Roads : Traffic: The country has one of the worst accident records in Europe. The new regulations seek to reduce fatalities.

 

[Engadine]

Nice article in the LA Times, albeit 33 years ago. (Coincidentally the year I lived in Belgium) Interesting that not that much has changed, maybe it will do so as car mad people die out

 

[Engadine]

Heading home from le mans on a quiet summer morning in 2019. Bliss.

View attachment 135659

We were travelling at exactly the same speed, 258kmh. Interesting that 8th gear in W205 is longer than 7th in the 204. 9th in the 205 is crazily long, unless you are in Germany.

 

[bolidemichael]

We were travelling at exactly the same speed, 258kmh. Interesting that 8th gear in W205 is longer than 7th in the 204. 9th in the 205 is crazily long, unless you are in Germany.

My 211 with the M113 changes from sixth to seventh (top) at 130mph.

 

[SW18]

I've been interested to see these speedo pics. I have the later 5.5 engine with the same 7G box, and 7th gear is 42mph per 1000 rpm, so would be sitting at a fairly low 3800rpm at 258kph. (Have not tested this personally!). All gears except 1st are long: it's possible to top 100mph in 3rd!

 

[Cyclone1]

I've been interested to see these speedo pics. I have the later 5.5 engine with the same 7G box, and 7th gear is 42mph per 1000 rpm, so would be sitting at a fairly low 3800rpm at 258kph. (Have not tested this personally!). All gears except 1st are long: it's possible to top 100mph in 3rd!

Pic shows the car in 6th at 200mph.

 

[TeddyRuxpin]

Pfft.

 

[bolidemichael]

bolidemichael: Here's my 258kmh top speed

Cyclone1: Hold my beer...