The Pagani Zonda is widely (and rightfully) regarded as one of the best-sounding cars on earth, and a little shop dubbed Technical Garage Sasaki in Kawasaki, Japan, is responsible for making classic V12-powered Mercs sound just like it.
The man behind the shop, Sasaki-san, is the mastermind behind Brilliant Exhaust. Seven years ago he posted the first video showcasing the ‘F1’ exhaust he developed for the Mercedes-Benz S600 and has since developed a cult following.
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Powering later Zonda models is a 7.3-liter Mercedes-AMG V12 that is actually based on Merc’s M120 6.0-liter twelve-cylinder. Sasaki-san uses this engine, to which he adds equal-length long tube headers and a bespoke exhaust – and, over the years, has managed to perfect the sound.
In a report detailing the shop in question, Jalopnik says that, despite the insane sound a Brilliant Exhaust can add to an S600, or other M120-powered vehicles like the SL600 and CL600, Sasaki-san hasn’t received any orders for the exhaust in the seven years since he built the first and only example. However, earlier this year, effspot on YouTube purchased an S600 in Japan and had the car outfitted with a Brilliant Exhaust costing a whopping $12,500.
That sounds like a lot of money – and it is, hence why there have been no takers, especially considering the value of the cars it can be fitted to. However, it does result in an unassuming S-Class sedan that sounds like a Zonda, and that in itself is quite an achievement.