A billion to one

When you are a billionaire, you better have a car that’s one in a billion.

Billionaires love to stand out in a crowd. In a world where rarity is a commodity that gets traded, the rarer it gets, the better. They buy Ferraris, Porsches, Maybachs, Rollers and even Bugatti Veyrons to be part of that ultra-rarefied club. But some take an even more extreme step and go head first into the world of high-class tuners. Tuners are the bad boys of the automotive world — those who take a simple BMW 5 Series and turn it into a tool so devastating that Ferrari owners ask their dealers for a refund.

 

So if you are the lucky kid whose father is a billionaire, but want to stand out among your other friends whose fathers are billionaires too, what do you do? We have previewed five tuners, each the best in their field for the brands they service. Not only are they capable of doubling the power output of your thoroughbreds, they do it with the kind of precision and quality even some mainstream manufacturers can’t match. And guess what, they are all now officially available in India!

BRABUS SV12 S-CLASS BITURBO
Er, what’s that? When you need to convince dad that your Ferrari needs tuner treatment, what better way to get it done than by introducing him into the fold with a drug overdose treatment of his S-Class

Who are they? Bottrop, Germany based specialists of Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler vehicles, Brabus conversions are known to produce locomotive-like torque

Is it quick? You bet it is. With 720 bhp (gulp!) available from the enlarged 6.3-litre block, the Brabus SV12 Biturbo can keep singing until 340 kph! And if your dad is running late for his board meeting, he’ll be happy to know that his chauffeur can nail the throttle and hit 100 kph in less than four seconds. That’s also partially thanks to that Black Forest-uprooting torque—some 134 kgm of it (double gulp!)

Damages? Nearly double the price over a standard S500— about Rs 2.5-2.8 crore But oh-so-totally worth it!

NOVITEC ROSSO F430 RACE
Er, what’s that? That’s German for giddy-up and go!

Who are they? Novitec is a small tuning firm based in Stetten, Germany that specialises in all Fiat brands. Novitec Rosso is its Ferrari arm

Is it quick? Frighteningly. No one doubts that the Ferrari F430 is hot. But the Novitec Rosso F430 Race takes it to a new level. The supercharged V8 now produces 707 bhp — up from a mere 483 horses. That means a top speed of 350 kph and a 0-100 kph time of just 3.5 seconds. And you no longer need to worry about grinding the F430’s nose outside your favourite club — it’s got adaptive suspension to keep your prized possession’s underbelly clean

Damages? Just Rs 2.5 crore. A steal!

AUDI R8R MTM
Er, what’s that? When you want to stand out among the 15 other official Audi R8 owners in the country

Who are they? MTM specialise in tuning Audis. Located in Wetstetten in Germany, they are famous for their twin-motor Audi TT that produces over 1,000 bhp!

Is it quick? The standard Audi R8 with 420 bhp is a precision tool in the right hands. But MTM think that by producing the R8R with 552 bhp, they’ve only made it a potent one. The 0-100 kph time is now down to 3.9 seconds from 4.7, while top speed rises from 301 kph to nearly 320. And yes, it looks beautiful in white

Damages? A little less than Rs 2 crore

9FF PORSCHE 911 TURBO CABRIO
Er, what’s that? A Porsche 911 with megalomania

Who are they? Crazy tuners of Porsches from Dortmund, Germany. Made famous by the 9ff GT9 that hit 415 kph (Bugatti Veyron: 407 kph) at Papenburg testing grounds

Is it quick? 9ff, like the other tuners here, offer different states of tune for their cars. The 911 Turbo cabriolet with the 9ff treatment liberates 679 bhp. That’s 200 bhp over the standard 911 Turbo cabrio. And 9ff quote some crazy acceleration figures like 0 to 100 kph in 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 392 kph. Yikes!

Damages? If all goes well, between Rs 2.3 and 2.5 crore

AC SCHNITZER S5 PACKAGE
Er, what’s that? When your hyper Porsche, Ferrari or Audi breaks down, you will still need something quick, right?

Who are they? BMW specialists from Freilassing who’ve become famous in making subtle, yet quick sleepers

Is it quick? The 5 Series package is one that produces a bit more power. So it won’t leave your hair standing, unless of course you give it some stick. The 530d for instance can gain another 30 bhp and with the 530d already capable of a 7 second timing to 100 kph, this is no less quick. And if you still want to go quicker, buy yourself a BMW M5 and just hand it over to AC Schnitzer

Damages? Not much. Packages begin from Rs 2 lakh and go up to Rs 20-25 lakh