Skip to main content

Live like Nick Cage during the post-apocalypse with the Brabus B63S 700 6×6

I spend a lot of time thinking about the apocalypse.

I’ve fantasized about it for many years – long before it became fashionable. Despite the horrific scenes of The Walking Dead, I still think of the apocalypse favorably. That’s because – despite my more logical mind – I imagine myself occupying a mountain top villa somewhere in the Rockies, living out my days in comfort and solitude. I’ll drink expensive champagne that the previous homeowners abandoned in haste, watching Charlton Heston movies like The Omega Man.

Despite my dreams of chalet life, I mostly ponder what car or truck I desire for when the end of days inevitably strikes. For many years, I was practical. I imagined myself piloting a Subaru across the plains. Then, I upgraded to the rare Dodge Ram Diesel Hybrid that was only produced for a short while. That one, including being incredibly rugged, could be switched over into a Generator Mode and could power three average American homes, which should be just enough for my villa. This, I fear, was also too practical for my tastes.

Every time a new heavy-duty truck or hard-hitting SUV is unveiled, I am immediately and momentarily transported to my post-apocalyptic vision, running up rural mountain roads at breakneck speeds with my dog riding shotgun, churning up a sky’s worth of dust and making much racket.

So if the global society collapsed today, what modern truck would be ideal as a post-apocalyptic runabout? The first one that comes to mind is the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6×6.

With four doors, a pickup bed, and a face that could give small children PTSD, it’s clearly fit for a despotic dictator or Arabian prince. Powered by a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8, the G63 AMG 6×6 makes 544 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque. It’s safe to say, then, the G63 AMG 6×6 is more truck than most anyone could ever want.

Except me. During the apocalypse. No, if I had my druthers, I’d much rather have the Brabus B63S 700 6×6 pictured above.

As we’ve discussed before, Brabus is an aftermarket Mercedes-Benz tuning company that takes AMG cars and trucks and squeezes from them near 700 horsepower and upgrades the exterior and interior with red leather and garish rims. The same has been done to with the B63S.

The big, black truck started life as a G63 AMG 6×6 but then Brabus fitted two bigger, more power turbos to the 5.5 V8 and a devil-red interior stitched to the inside. After the Brabus ‘laying on of hands,’ the B63S 700 6×6 now makes 690 hp and 708 lb-ft. Power is sent to all six drive wheels through an AMG 7-speed transmission, complete with paddle shifters.

Now this enormous hunk of German steel and earthquake inducing power can go 0-62 mph in just over seven seconds. This might not seem fast but take into consideration that the drivetrain has to turn six 37-inch tires on a truck with a curb weight that likely pushes past three tons.

I know many folks think you’d want to run under the radar after the world as we know it ends. I disagree. I want to be seen and feared. I’ll blow through the countryside on the way to my villa yelling and carrying on like Nick Cage in Bad Lieutenant.

Clearly, at this rate, I won’t make it long during the end of days. I’ll likely be assassinated and eaten within a matter of months. But that’s OK because I will have one hell of a time while I’m at it. After all, who really wants to live a quiet life under the radar subsisting on sardines canned during the Carter administration for three decades anyhow? Not me.

Nick Jaynes
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick Jaynes is the automotive editor of The Manual. When Nick isn't behind the wheel on the open road, he can be found…
Love Dune 2? The best Denis Villeneuve movies, ranked
Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve has had a very prolific career.
The official poster for Dune: Part Two.

Thanks to the box office success of Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve is now firmly established among the top directors in Hollywood. It's an overnight success story that only took 26 years to come to fruition. And over the past decade, Villeneuve has taken it upon himself to make some of the best science fiction movies of the century. But Villeneuve has already proven that he can do a lot more than sci-fi.

To celebrate the director's films, we've narrowed them down to the 7 best Denis Villeneuve movies ranked from seventh to first. And there is no "worst" among these Denis Villeneuve movies.

Read more
The Ghostbusters have a new ride in Frozen Empire, courtesy of Mercedes Benz
Mercedes Benz Sprinter plays a pivotal role in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
The ECTO-Z makes its debut in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Later this month, the Ghostbusters will be back on the big screen in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. And while three generations of the team are coming together, there is a big addition to the crew: The ECTO-Z. At an event in New York City, Mercedes-Benz officially unveiled the Ghostbusters' new ride, which is a customized Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that follows in the footsteps of the iconic ECTO-1 from the first three films.

Given the larger size of the second and third-generation Ghostbusters team, it was only natural that they would need a vehicle that could carry all of them to the scene of a haunting anywhere in NYC. As for the name, it comes from original team member Dr. Winston Zeddemore, as played by Ernie Hudson. Ghostbusters: Afterlife established that Zeddemore is now the financial backer of the Ghostbusters and the de facto leader of the team.

Read more
Everything points to Apple TV+ making a change you’re not going to like
Is an ad-supported tier coming to Apple TV+?
The Apple TV Plus Logo

It turns out that TV worked pretty well under its old model. According to a new report from Business Insider, Apple TV+ may be the latest streaming service that's set to introduce an ad-supported tier and charge those who don't stream with ads a premium fee to access their great shows and movies.

At this point, the report is still speculation, but Apple has made several recent hires in the advertising space that seem to suggest the direction they're planning to take. The company recently hired former NBCUniversal ad executive Joseph Cady to serve as executive vice president of advanced advertising and partnerships, a move that comes following the company's hiring of another former NBCUniversal executive, Jason Frum, who joined Apple's video ad sales team.

Read more