If a sneaker was an electric motorcycle, this is it. Cult meets cult in the latest iteration of Brabus's highly desirable Urban E electric motorcycle. The German outfit most renowned for their super-powered Mercedes-based creations have employed Japanese streetwear guru Hiroshi Fujiwara to add more than a touch of Tokyo hip-hop style to the Brabus Urban E. It's a limited edition, so you might want to get your order in now if you're keen on enhancing your urban credibility.
The Tokyo-based designer first saw an early example of a standard Brabus Urban E on the streets of Milan during that city's fashion week. "I just found its design beautiful," says Fujiwara, "Brabus takes something that already exists and pushes it in a completely different direction. I think Fragment works in a similar way." Fragment Design is Fujiwara's enterprise which specialises in collaborations with everyone from Nike to Louis Vuitton, but specialising in limited edition sneakers. As Fujiwara suggests, there's more than an edge of that work in what Brabus are calling a "collector's edition".
Colourway is resolutely black and white. None of the colour popping of Brabus's own Urban E designs here. All-black bodywork features carbon fibre elements. Brabus logo to the front is framed in black carbon fibre, CNC machined aluminium levers feature to the Supermoto-style handlebars. Wheel covers are in white carbon fibre. Side engine cover and winglets are also among the 23 carbon components. Brembo brake shoes are in white.
You'll be sitting on pure Brabus luxury. Fujiwara has specified a white leather saddle featuring signature Brabus "Shell" quilting. To the rear, Fragment Design lightning logo enhances the light signature so they'll know what's just overtaken them. Underneath the Fragment Edition has all the elements of the Brabus Urban E, itself a collaboration with French specialists DAB Motors, part of the Peugeot empire.
Sitting on your white leather throne, you'll have more than enough power to cope with the Tokyo traffic. Top speed is a handy 75 mph, power is 37 bhp and range, once you've charged it up from its front-mounted charging port, is 94 miles. "I do many luxury things," says Hiroshi Fujiwara, "but also still underground things. I think to surprise people you need a good balance with high and low." It's easy to see how this urban Brabus runabout fits in his portfolio.
Like what you see? With just ten available worldwide, you're more than slightly likely to be the only one on your street with a Fragment Edition Brabus Urban E. Of course you might want to add Fragment Design Nike sneakers to complete the look - around £500 for the sought-after Nike x Fragment x Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 Low for instance - so add that to the Brabus asking price of £44,000. You could of course buy a standard Urban E for about half that, but where's the street cred in that? See you at the next sneaker festival.
