Brabus D6 Bhp
Brabus Insurance
zuby84
Original Poster
995 posts
162 months
Saturday 7th June 2008
Hey there,
I know that a quite a lot of people have difficulty in finding insurance for a performance/prestige car and I'm having similar difficulty.
I'm getting a new S320 CDI with full Brabus conversion (done at the dealer.) This means that it has the full Brabus bodykit, Brabus D6 engine chip (increases BHP by 40-50,) and some small mods inside like the Brabus steering wheel.
But what I can't seem to do is find an insurance company (even the so called specialist ones) who know what the relationship between Brabus and Mercedes is.
Would this car be classified as a factory option or "aftermarket mods"? If I have to go down the option of declaring them as aftermarket mods, there is about 15-20 different bits of bodystyling that comes with the Brabus conversion compared to the standard S class. Is there any insurance company at all that allows me to add these many "mods"?
Cheers in advance for any advice
Sunday 8th June 2008
i think it wil depend upon whether an insurance company will recognise your car as a Brabus in its own right or a Mercedes with Brabus parts. I have to pay more for my insurance as it has Hirsch suspension fitted when new by the Saab dealer - even though Hirsch is recommended by Saab everywhere classes it as a modified car.
If you are in the same boat as me then be prepared to be spending out each year on your insurance premiums, being classed as modified tends to add £££'s to the bill.
Sunday 8th June 2008
Unfortunately for you Zuby84 I think the Brabus modifications will be treated as aftermarket additions 
. Brabus isn't like AMG that is part of Mercedes rather it's a totally separate company. For example, Mercedes don't warrantee Brabus additions (the dealer might via Brabus directly though) whereas it does for AMG.
Having said all that the car should be great! 
Do post some pics if you have them.
Sunday 8th June 2008
zuby84 said:
Hey there,
I know that a quite a lot of people have difficulty in finding insurance for a performance/prestige car and I'm having similar difficulty.
I'm getting a new S320 CDI with full Brabus conversion (done at the dealer.) This means that it has the full Brabus bodykit, Brabus D6 engine chip (increases BHP by 40-50,) and some small mods inside like the Brabus steering wheel.
But what I can't seem to do is find an insurance company (even the so called specialist ones) who know what the relationship between Brabus and Mercedes is.
Would this car be classified as a factory option or "aftermarket mods"? If I have to go down the option of declaring them as aftermarket mods, there is about 15-20 different bits of bodystyling that comes with the Brabus conversion compared to the standard S class. Is there any insurance company at all that allows me to add these many "mods"?
Cheers in advance for any advice
The relationship between Mercedes and Brabus is like boy racers and Halfords!
Ben
Sunday 8th June 2008
bloodyniceben said:
zuby84 said:
Hey there,
I know that a quite a lot of people have difficulty in finding insurance for a performance/prestige car and I'm having similar difficulty.
I'm getting a new S320 CDI with full Brabus conversion (done at the dealer.) This means that it has the full Brabus bodykit, Brabus D6 engine chip (increases BHP by 40-50,) and some small mods inside like the Brabus steering wheel.
But what I can't seem to do is find an insurance company (even the so called specialist ones) who know what the relationship between Brabus and Mercedes is.
Would this car be classified as a factory option or "aftermarket mods"? If I have to go down the option of declaring them as aftermarket mods, there is about 15-20 different bits of bodystyling that comes with the Brabus conversion compared to the standard S class. Is there any insurance company at all that allows me to add these many "mods"?
Cheers in advance for any advice
The relationship between Mercedes and Brabus is like boy racers and Halfords!
Ben
I hardly think it is. 
I would not say they are aftermarket. By definition they are not; fitted before delivery, by the main dealer. I'd argue they were options, though not 'factory' ones.
A lot of insurance companies don't like mods, and some will even refuse to insure you once you list more than 6 (and it doesn't matter of those six are exhausts or wingmirrors...). So its worth confirming.
Andy
Sunday 8th June 2008
I had this with a Prodrive Impreza back in 1998, in the end the insurance company agreed as the 'options' were listed on a Subaru Price List. They said that if it had been a 'Prodrive' price list then they would have been treated seperately
davidy
Sunday 8th June 2008
I am a technician for Mercedes, i have seen the quality, or lack of it, and i think it is upmarket boy racer stuff.
Huge wheels, stick on body kits, and neon lights!! if thats not Halfords i dont know what is!
Oh, the only thing that isnt Halfords is the price of this stuff, it is soooo expensive.
Buy AMG, so much better in every way.
Ben
Sunday 8th June 2008
A Plan or Keith Michaels.
Monday 9th June 2008
stolen from Jeremy Clarkson said:
Brabus make the fast convertible in the world, and the fastest Estate car
Hardly Halford tat
robm3
4,782 posts
199 months
Monday 9th June 2008
I saw a Brabus S Class recently with the body kit, it was black and looked brilliant.
Just the thing for Darth Vader and his family!
Whatever the insurance is, it's worth it.
Roo.
11,503 posts
179 months
Monday 9th June 2008
A.G. said:
so take off your DCUK rose tinted spectacles. You have obviously been to Milton Keynes too often collecting certificates and submitted to the brainwash process.
Having worked for a Chrysler dealer for the last eight years that made me laugh out loud.
In answer to the OP try Peter Best Insurance. They insure my Merc (albeit much older) with no problems at a very good rate.
Monday 9th June 2008
Have you tried calling Lancaster insurance?
Very knowledgeable staff - not your normal call centre monkeys.
XB70
2,461 posts
168 months
Monday 9th June 2008
Those photos are stunning
I pray to the Powerball Gods but never do I get the chance to order a 1000hp Maybach 62 Brabus *bow scrape bow*
They did some evil looking things with the R129 in the mid 1990's
Thanks for posting them....and for the EB110 shot also!
zuby84
Original Poster
995 posts
162 months
Monday 9th June 2008
Guys,
I hate to say it; but I think for me the Brabus dream is over for atleast now, unless somehow it can be saved. The car I wanted to buy, I just found out was an actual Brabus from the factory in Germany and was getting a good deal on it. So as an import; even less chance of getting insurance.
But what I just can't get is insurance. No one is wanting to touch me despite my 5 years NCB due to the fact I'm only 23. I mean there MUST be a single insurance company that insures people like me. What I've found is that most insurance companies are simply just doing at their desks what I can do online; very frustrating. "specialist insurance companies" my arse. Maybe in a few years...
A.G you have pm.
Monday 9th June 2008
mcflurry said:
Hardly Halford tat
Indeed...
ITB
5,620 posts
187 months
Monday 9th June 2008
shadowninja said:
A Plan or Keith Michaels.
+1, really know there stuff, things like this are accepted by them no bother (i think)
10JH
2,070 posts
166 months
Monday 9th June 2008
Fantastic posts A.G. very interesting and informative, nice photos too! Personally I like the look of a few of the Brabus visual changes, particularly on the new S Class. I have never driven an AMG or Brabus but can see the appeal of a Merceded warranty covering the AMG cars, it must be a big selling point.
I remember an Evo article a few years back on Brabus, seemed to remember it finished by hinting that a few of the senior executives at Mercedes actually drove Brabus, interesting they should choose them over AMG.
Tuesday 10th June 2008
10JH said:
I remember an Evo article a few years back on Brabus, seemed to remember it finished by hinting that a few of the senior executives at Mercedes actually drove Brabus, interesting they should choose them over AMG.
Apparently Schumacher's got one and Senna had one too. As a Brabus owner, one is in good company!
Tuesday 10th June 2008
A.G. said:
bloodyniceben said:
I am a technician for Mercedes, i have seen the quality, or lack of it, and i think it is upmarket boy racer stuff.
Huge wheels, stick on body kits, and neon lights!! if thats not Halfords i dont know what is!
Oh, the only thing that isnt Halfords is the price of this stuff, it is soooo expensive.
Buy AMG, so much better in every way.
Ben
b
ks!
Errr. Me too and did 22 years with MB and 4 with Brabus. The quality of materials with respect to non-integral (ie bolt on) body styling is generally behind AMG to be honest (and thats because AMG being the in house, bought-in, so called tuning firm used to get the heads up on all new developments first - and by a country mile).
However...........
The Brabus's of this world have to beg, borrow, steal factory demos or press cars and catch up quick and have little development time before putting their product to market. For example on brand new models the first Brabus body kits were usually GRP until they were windtunnel happy and assured of a saleable product before putting mass produced high quality ABS to market. It is worth noting that both AMG and Brabus sell st quality alloy wheels.However neither actually produce these items. (Italian)?????
In terms of engine mods, brakes and supension, Brabus know their stuff. Their current raison d'etre being that MB have used nomenclature such as Classic, elegance, Ambiente, Sport and that AMG has become just another one of these. IMO AMG has become a watered down, in house badge engineering excercise. Pretty much all the latest so called AMG nutter Mercs were developed at Stuttgart within Sindelfingen's hallowed halls and the AMG tag helps to justify the pricing differential. Most AMG stuff these days has fk all to do with AMG at all. All Brabus do is make a more mental version of every model. I am neither criticizing or condoning this strategy but just giving factual info.
Brabus have however been casually in bed with MB over the last few years anyway at (political) arms length. See smart. Also do some homework on who did work on the post- elk test A Class's.
I dont much go in for the latest German fashion of "biggest engine + turbos in smallest car possible" but can understand the need to satisfy a target market and appreciate the engineering.
Just to clarify, I am not trying to criticize the product in any way but if you ever get to go to the Unterturkheim HQ of DaimlerChrysler in Stuttgart, just check how many directors are driving unmarked Brabus product.
I remember AMG being a forward thinking, exciting outfit and have been to their HQ in Affalterbach many times in the past and have had the pleasure of company cars such as 500E, C36, C43, E55, CLK55, SL55, S55 but if you took time to visit the Brabus facility at Bottrop you would see a very impressive set up with many ex-factory bods working on some sexy projects, unfetterd by the politics of DaimlerChryslers board.
I also take it that you have never driven a Brabus SL K8 or a C Class CV8
It's also worth pointing out to you that the bulk of Brabus sales within Europe were sold from within the MB dealer networks showrooms so take off your DCUK rose tinted spectacles. You have obviously been to Milton Keynes too often collecting certificates and submitted to the brainwash process.
Edited by A.G. on Sunday 8th June 23:33
Granted, Brabus factory cars are nice bits of kit, what i am saying is is that Brabus aftermarket parts seem poor quality, the working instuctions are diabolical, and they sell under car neons for goodness sake!
Try cutting a standard Merc bumper to fit a Brabus extension with the Brabus template and you will be filling up holes where the two dont match up, and that is a story from Milton Keynes.
You have obviously worked at Brabus some time, collecting certificates and being submitted to the brainwashing process.
I, contrary to your comments, have not been brainwashed, i just work there to earn money, yes i have been to Milton Keynes many times, but i can safely say, if i ever have enough money to buy a Mercedes, i wont be buying a Mercedes!
And the first post is about an S Class with dealer fit Brabus extras, not the factory cars you are talking about.
Ben
Edited by bloodyniceben on Tuesday 10th June 20:08
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