In 2018, a Dutch coach-building company called RemetzCar created a bespoke shooting brake model, based on the Tesla Model S. It was the specialist company’s final commission as it closed its doors permanently later that year, citing a declining market as the main factor. The company had been building extraordinary cars for more than 20 years, and the Tesla Model S Shooting Brake was a fitting farewell.
2024 Tesla Model S Plaid AWD
Has Tesla missed a trick by not offering a similar design in its line-up? We reckon a Model S Plaid Shooting Brake with 1,000 hp would be pretty handy, and attract a new stream of customers. We take a closer look at this custom build, some of the company’s other fat-wallet creations, and at other cool shooting brake models.
We take a more in-depth look at the one-off Tesla Model S Shooting Brake. RemetzCar has created some pretty amazing machines over more than 20 years of coach-building, and we check out some of those. And since Tesla omitted to give us a shooting brake production model, we have a peek at some cool alternative options.
You Want To Build… What?
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2013 Tesla Model S P85 Performance |
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Electric motor |
Single motor & 85 kWh battery pack |
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Power |
370–416 hp |
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Torque |
443 lb-ft |
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0-60 mph |
5.5 seconds |
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Top speed |
155 mph |
In 2017, a Dutch car collector and enthusiast, Floris de Raadt, decided to create his very own shooting brake special, based on a Tesla Model S P85 Performance. At the time, De Raadt had apparently been driving electric vehicles for a number of years, and he was convinced that a Tesla would be the ideal platform to create his dream car. He commissioned Dutch coach-building company RemetzCar to create a bespoke new machine.
RemetzCar is no stranger to bespoke car builds. At the time, the company had more than two decades of experience building all types of luxurious machines, ranging from a Tesla Model S hearse to six-wheeled Range Rovers to the so-called six-door Mercedes-Benz S-Class to a stretched Audi A8, custom-made for the King of the Netherlands.
The Model S shooting brake build would be tricky. To keep the weight as low as possible, the Tesla Model S comes standard with an aluminum chassis and body. The body also includes intricate crumbling zones, and the aim was to keep these intact, and the shooting brake as close to a factory specification as possible. To achieve this, the RemetzCar team convinced De Raadt that the build should be completed in aluminum. It would be a more expensive exercise, requiring more specialist fabrication, but the end result would be worth it, the team said. De Raadt gave the green light, well, in more ways than one. He also wanted his shooting brake Tesla to feature a British Racing Green theme.
And so the RemetzCar team set about designing De Raadt’s dream car using computer-aided design systems. A unique touch is the hand-crafted chromed steel finish, stretching from the A-pillar, all the way to the C-pillar. This chromed finish serves to further highlight the sloped, custom roof profile.
The completed car made its public debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The classic shooting brake shape and chrome finish drew a lot of attention. But it was especially the detailed finishes that really set this project apart from the rest of the custom-built cars.
The Devil Is In The Details
The RemetzCar team’s attention to the small details is notable. With a bespoke new aluminum exterior decked out in British Racing Green, with some discreet gold in the game, the green theme is continued on the inside, albeit in a discreet, classy fashion. The leather-trimmed seats, for instance, feature discreet green stitching. The same goes for the steering wheel, which has been completely refurbished, and the green stitching added.
The Tesla, hailing from 2013, was also retrofitted with a 2016 specification dashboard and exterior facelift details. The sedan came with the factory panoramic sunroof option, and the custom new roof-lining and glass section fit seamlessly together, as if it came this way from the factory. The custom new rear hatch opens electrically, just like it did in the sedan.
The electric drivetrain remains 100% stock, so this 2013 Model S Performance has a single electric motor delivering 370 hp, powering the rear wheels. The 85kWh battery pack allows a range of around 265 miles, and the Tesla can sprint from 0-60 mph in less than six seconds, and it will top out at 155 mph. The shooting brake also runs an adjustable air suspension, combined with 21-inch Tesla Turbine wheels.
At one stage, owner De Raadt, RemetzCar and some associates intended to offer the conversion to more clients with thick wallets, but the production costs apparently turned out so high for this build, the team realized it would just not make any financial sense to pursue their ambitious plan. Two months after the shooting break made its debut at the Geneva show, RemetzCar closed down. And so, only one Tesla Model S P85 Performance shooting brake was ever created. We live in hope that Elon Musk will consider creating some shooting brake Teslas, at semi-reasonable prices.
When Folks Have (Very) Thick Wallets
RemetzCar was established in 1996, with the company’s first six-door Mercedes-Benz E-Class rolling out of the company’s workshop later that year. After that, RemetzCar created an extensive range of custom-made cars for well-heeled customers. That list of customers apparently also includes King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, for whom RemetzCar built an Audi A8 L Quattro. The standard A8 L is around 17 feet long, but the Royal version takes this even further, coming in at about 19 feet.
The special Audi is armored, and weighs around 8,200 lbs. To shift all that weight around, it is powered by a 6.3-liter W12 engine making 444 hp and 428 lb-ft. Neat touches include electrochromic glass, located between the front seat and rear space, which can be made transparent or non-transparent by pressing a button. It also has an electrically operated writing table and two large LCD screens.
Other notable creations include a Tesla Model S hearse, for customers who prefer a quiet yet luxurious ride to their final resting place. RemetzCar’s six-door Mercedes-Benz limousines have proven a popular option over the years. And the company’s six-wheeled Range Rover caters to customers who prefer to go the 4WD limo way.
The Shooting Brake Bandwagon
The shooting brake concept is, of course, not a new one. The name apparently hails from as far back as the 1890s, when horse-drawn carriages were fitted out to accommodate the game that a hunting party may have shot. These specially-equipped carriages also housed the hunting party and their equipment, so they had seats, with a dedicated loading area in the back.
As the automobile’s popularity increased early in the 1900s, car companies offered similar styles of cars… two-doors, a luxurious interior, and a rear cargo area that could, supposedly, accommodate some cargo. Although the shooting brake style certainly appeals to some, the body style has never garnered a mass following. Mercedes-Benz, for one, has persisted with the shooting brake body style for a vast array of its models, but it has always remained a niche model, with limited appeal.
Even the mighty Mercedes-Benz CLS 6.3 AMG Shooting Brake, which never made it to the US market, has very limited appeal. It seems many folks look at a beautiful shooting brake example in the same way they view a famous movie star… easy on the eye and cool to watch on the big screen. But dating? Nah, too much trouble right there.
In more recent times, there have been some really special shooting brake models. The Tesla Model S is actually not the first fully electric shooting brake model. That honor belongs to the Fisker Surf, a shooting brake model based on the Fisker Karma platform. The striking Surf concept was unveiled in 2011, but Fisker announced that it would not go into production as the company would rather focus its resources on the mid-sized Atlantic sedan. With just over 2,000 Fisker Karma cars built by that same year, the company closed its doors after failing to meet production targets, and funding was withdrawn. Oh, what could (and should) have been. For the record, the Fisker Surf was powered by two electric motors producing a combined 322 hp.
Another stunning example of this shooting brake species is the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake, powered by a 5.9-liter V12 engine that makes 584 hp. The beautiful machine made its debut in 2017, and only 99 cars were ever made. It is one of the most sought-after shooting brake examples in the world.
Less glamorous but still very cool are the Volkswagen Arteon R Shooting Brake and the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake. The Volkswagen came with a four-wheel-drive system and a 315-hp version of the brand’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The Genesis G70 is powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine producing 300 hp, and also offers a brisk pace in a practical, sweeping design. Car companies, though, have concluded that American buyers have no appetite for station wagons anymore… not even pretty ones like these. So neither the VW nor Genesis were offered for sale in North America.
Sources: Tesla, RemetzCar, JB Classic Cars, Aston Martin, Volkswagen.
