No sooner had I reached the first traffic light than this guy in the car next to me pulled out a camera cell phone and started snapping photos of the car like some crazed paparazzo. It was clear to me he was stoked, even going so far as giving me a thumbs-up. Even on the car-jaded streets of Beverly Hills, the Brabus S550 is a star attraction.

No stranger to fanfare, premier Mercedes-Benz tuner Brabus AG had its hands on the new W221 S-Class late last year and began developing a comprehensive styling package designed to enhance the car inside and out.

Easily more elegant than its predecessor, the car's sharper angles and cleaner lines are complemented by a full Brabus aero package that adds just the right amount of sportiness without taking away from its luxurious and beautifully crafted panels. The sportier front valance extends below the bumper and tastefully incorporates a large intake area, as well as integrated high beams and foglights. The rear features a bumper that also wonderfully matches the flowing exterior contours and is designed to accommodate the Brabus sport exhaust and its stainless steel quad tips. A subtle trunklid spoiler provides further accent to the rear, and a pair of side skirts complete the package. Later that evening, I discovered the side skirts and rear valance feature hidden custom LED ground illumination.
I had heard about this new feature and was initially on the fence about it, thinking it would remind me too much of the undercarriage neon glow lights made popular with some of the less gifted within the import crowd. But this lighting serves a true purpose, effectively illuminating the curb and rear area when triggered by unlocking the doors or trunk. The valet at the Velvet Margarita was surprised, having not seen anything like it, as were the valet girls we bumped into later in the evening. Yes, all the valets were girls, and car chicks at that.