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Mercedes-Brabus GLK V12: The 2009 SUV That Hit 200.3 mph

BRABUS says its 2009 GLK V12 reached 200.3 mph at Nardò, earning a period Guinness fastest-street-legal-SUV title. Here are its specs and the limits of that record claim.
Entry546 Date Time2 min MechanicCarCody Team
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The BRABUS GLK V12 was a bespoke 2009 conversion of the Mercedes-Benz GLK X 204, not a factory GLK trim. BRABUS says it reached 322.3 km/h (200.3 mph) at Italy’s Nardò track and earned the Guinness title of fastest street-legal SUV. That is a historical claim attributed to BRABUS—not proof that it remains the fastest SUV today.

What was the BRABUS GLK V12?

BRABUS, the German vehicle tuner, took the Mercedes-Benz GLK X 204 and transformed it into a high-performance V12 project. The result was an exceptionally specialized conversion, rather than a production Mercedes-Benz model available as a regular GLK option. BRABUS’s retrospective history describes the vehicle as part of its 2009 work. BRABUS’s 2000s history

How powerful was it, and how fast did it accelerate?

BRABUS lists a twin-turbocharged 6.3-liter V12 producing 552 kW (750 hp) and 1,100 Nm of torque. Its stated 0–100 km/h time is 4.2 seconds. Those are the figures BRABUS gives for the conversion; they should not be confused with specifications for an ordinary GLK. BRABUS’s 2000s history

What was its top speed and record claim?

BRABUS says the GLK V12 reached 322.3 km/h (200.3 mph) at the Nardò high-speed track in Italy. The company describes the result as the Guinness title for the fastest street-legal SUV. A BRABUS news release reproduced by SpeedLux dates the run to October 19, 2009. BRABUS’s account SpeedLux’s reproduction of the 2009 release

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The wording matters: this is BRABUS’s historical description of the result. The available accounts do not independently establish the underlying Guinness record documentation or show that the GLK V12 holds a present-day all-time SUV record. “Fastest SUV ever” is therefore best understood as shorthand for the car’s period record claim, not a verified current ranking.

How did it compare with the Techart Cayenne Turbo?

In a December 2009 report, MotorTrend said the BRABUS narrowly surpassed the Techart Cayenne Turbo it compared against by 0.7 mph at Nardò. That is a contemporaneous comparison between those two vehicles—not a like-for-like ranking of every SUV, category, or era. MotorTrend’s December 12, 2009 report

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What did the GLK V12 cost, and could it be registered as a Mercedes?

Period pricing differs by source and currency. MotorTrend’s 2009 headline quoted $580,000; the BRABUS release dated December 11, 2009, as reproduced by SpeedLux, gave a starting price of €397,000. These are historical figures, not current valuations or evidence of present availability.

MotorTrend also reported that the extensively modified vehicle could not be registered as a Mercedes-Benz in Germany and instead had to be registered as a Brabus. That is the outlet’s report about this conversion, not a complete account of German vehicle-registration law. MotorTrend’s December 12, 2009 report SpeedLux’s reproduction of the 2009 release

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