Brabus drops V12 into C class

Ever since the 2008 Brabus Bullit first appeared on the carpet at the Frankfurt auto show last fall, we've been waiting to be beckoned to the Brabus factory to fire it in anger.

The Brabus Bullit is a 223-mph projectile that lives up to its name, another bold statement of tuner craziness from the overheated imagination of Bondo Buschmann, the founder and chief executive of Brabus.

The idea of a twin-turbo 720-horsepower Mercedes-Benz V12 will put anyone in a sweat, and this particular example has been stuffed under the hood of the brand-new 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan.

Once the 2008 Brabus Bullit is finally ready, it'll make some serious numbers. We're promised 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds, 124 mph in 10.5 seconds and even 186 mph in 24.5 seconds.

You clearly don't have to hold your breath very long to reach the Brabus Bullit's advertised top speed of 223 mph. Of course, it all comes at a price that will steal your breath away for at least a couple of minutes: $515,000.