There's something rather special sitting in our Dubai showroom right now. It's a car that represents perhaps the pinnacle of the modified Mercedes era, and more interestingly, it's a car that once sparked what might be the most expensive neighborly rivalry in automotive history. Meet the Brabus Stealth 65 - one of only two SL65 AMG Black Series cars that Brabus ever modified, and arguably the more outrageous of the pair. Back in 2009, when the standard Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series was already making other supercars look a bit pedestrian with its 661 horsepower, someone in Dubai decided that wasn't quite enough. The story goes that this particular customer commissioned Brabus to create something unique. The result was the Brabus Vanish - an 800 horsepower monster that made the standard Black Series look about as exciting as a dentist's waiting room. Job done, you might think. But this is Dubai, and things are never that simple. As fate would have it, another gentleman living in the same neighborhood caught wind of this creation and decided he needed something similar. But in the spirit of one-upmanship, this buyer requested that his car surpass the Brabus Vanish. Enter the Brabus Stealth 65. Using their T65 RS tuning kit, which includes four intercoolers and redesigned turbocharger turbines, Brabus managed to squeeze 820 horsepower from the 6.0-liter V12. That's 20 more horses than the Vanish, which probably made for some interesting conversations at the local coffee shop. The numbers are, quite frankly, ridiculous. We're talking about 1,420Nm of torque - or 1,047 lb-ft in old money. That's enough twist to alter the Earth's rotation, though Brabus probably electronically limited it to prevent the gearbox from turning itself inside out. But the Stealth 65 isn't just about raw power. The car received a complete Brabus treatment inside and out. The interior features custom seats and enough carbon fiber to build a small yacht. The exterior, which has worn various shades of matte wrap over the years, currently presents in its original Diamond White Metallic - a color that seems almost subtle by Dubai standards. What makes this car particularly special is its peculiar place in automotive history. It represents the peak of the pre-hybrid era when German tuning houses were engaged in an arms race of sorts, each trying to extract more power from Mercedes' V12 than the other. The fact that it's one of only two such cars ever built - and the more powerful of the pair - makes it even more significant. The car's history is as interesting as its specification. After causing quite a stir in Dubai's supercar scene (imagine outdoing your neighbor's one-off Brabus with another one-off Brabus - that's peak Dubai), the car has been meticulously maintained and sparingly used. It's covered fewer miles than most people's daily commute, which isn't surprising given its rather extreme nature. And now, rather remarkably, it's available for purchase through our Dubai showroom. Yes, you read that correctly - one of the most powerful naturally aspirated V12-powered cars ever created by Brabus can be yours. It's a chance to own not just a piece of automotive history, but a car that literally caused its manufacturer to outdo itself. The price? Well, if you have to ask... but let's just say it's considerably more than what a regular SL65 AMG Black Series would cost you, and those aren't exactly cheap to begin with. But then again, how do you put a price on something that literally caused a neighborhood rivalry and pushed one of the world's most renowned tuning houses to its limits? Those interested in viewing this rather special piece of automotive one-upmanship will find it in our Dubai showroom, which will probably make everything else around it look a bit ordinary. Just don't tell your neighbor you're buying it - we don't want to start another power war.
