The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a beacon of excess, but underneath the glam, it's a shockingly capable SUV with legitimate off-road chops. AMG has its hands in G-Wagen development, too, turning out the high-performance AMG G63, but even that wasn't good enough for legendary tuning shop Brabus. It used the G63 as the basis for the insane thing you see here: The Brabus 900 Superblack, an 888-horsepower beast with custom touches inside and out. Brabus is far from the only company using the G to create a mountain of absurdity, but it might be the best.

Let's be clear: The "regular" G63 didn't need any help burning fuel, tires, or the egos of people with less than seven figures in the bank. Brabus took the 5,800-pound SUV's 577-horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 and increased the displacement to 4.5 liters. The Brabus Rocket 900 V8, as the resulting unit is called, generates a massive 888 hp (900 metric hp) and 922 lb-ft of torque. However, Brabus says it limits torque to "just" 774 lb-ft to preserve the drivetrain.

Brabus used its own forged pistons to achieve increased displacement. The pistons connect to a billet Brabus crankshaft via high-performance rods, and the shop says the stroke was lengthened to 100mm with the increased displacement.

Mercedes-AMG claims a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds for the G63, but many testers have found much quicker times in the high threes. Brabus promises to beat those times with a run of just 3.7 seconds from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) and a top speed of 174 mph. Unsurprisingly, the Superblack has a prodigious thirst, returning just 13.8 mpg in the city, 18.2 mpg on the highway, and 16.3 mpg combined.

Though the Superblack isn't Brabus' most insane creation, it still delivers immense power, which requires loads of oxygen. To feed the 900 Superblack's V8, engineers devised a custom ram-air intake where two intakes are integrated into the lower grilles on either side of the front fascia. Fuel, the other half of the combustion equation, comes via high-pressure pumps. A custom Brabus exhaust with three-inch downpipes completes the upgrades.

Of course, there's no point spending the money on a Brabus if nobody knows it's a Brabus, so the tuner used its bodywork expertise to increase the G's already considerable girth by a full four inches. Carbon fiber adorns various parts of the bodywork, and exposed carbon air vents sit just behind the front and rear fender flares. The Superblack rides on 24-inch custom Brabus wheels wrapped In ZR street tires and gets a ride-control coilover suspension setup that allows lowering the vehicle by up to 1.8 inches.

The all-black interior comes with quilted leather upholstery that extends to the cabin floor and cargo area. Most trim pieces are finished in matte grey glaze, and many components, such as the paddle shifters, are made of carbon. The details are stunning, but oddly it's the rear door hinges that genuinely impress. Brabus reengineered the components to swing open a full 90 degrees for better access to the back seat. Let's just hope the G's supremely satisfying door-clack noise is still there.