It ain’t pretty, but it’s fast. Actually, with a claimed 211 mph top speed, the Brabus Bi-Turbo V12 GLK is the fastest SUV in the world. Which is kinda like being the winner in a Twinkie-eating competition: It’s an epic feat of embarrassing proportions.

To pull it off, the Brabus crew stuck with its tried and true formula of shoving entirely too much engine into a small package. Underneath the vented hood lies a Mercedes-sourced V12 that’s been stroked from 5.5- to 6.3-liters. From there, the Bottrop boys fit a duo of turbos, two intercoolers, a couple high-flow cats and a stainless steel exhaust. The effect is typical Brabus: A staggering 740 horsepower and 995 pound-feet of torque, which is actually limited to 811 lb-ft (at 2,100 rpm) to avoid the gearbox, diff and rear tires from vaporizing in an oily, metallic haze. And naturally, the absurdity doesn’t stop with the engine.

Twelve-piston front calipers clamp onto 15-inch discs, with six-piston calipers and 14.2-inch rotors in the rear, while a height adjustable coilover suspension with ten settings for bound and rebound join 22-inch wheels wrapped in a choice of Pirelli or Yokohama rubber. The exterior and interior have been restyled to match, and while Merc’s diminutive ‘ute isn’t exactly a beauty queen to begin with, Brabus’ blocky aftermarket brutalization lends itself well to the GLK’s squat proportions.

But aesthetics aside, there’s a bigger problem. Actually, there are 397,000 of ‘em. That’s how many euros you’ll need for the GLK V12. For that kind of scratch ($580,000 using a straight conversion), there’s a host of high-power exotica available.

The diminishing value of the U.S. dollar, most notably against the Euro and Yen, is causing plenty of grief for foreign automakers. While the US market has been in the tank for the past two years, it still remains a major market for companies like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. All three brands have been looking at ways to relieve some of the exchange rate pressure and Mercedes has decided that more “dollar zone” production will be part of the solution.

When the next generation C-Class rolls out in 2014, German production will be consolidated at Daimler’s Bremen factory while units for the North American market will be built in the U.S. There’s been no announcement about where production will take place, but an expansion of the SUV factory in Alabama is one possibility. On a related side note, part of the reason the Premium German brands have recently avoided selling four-cylinder versions of their entry-level models in the States has been the exchange rates and the associated lack of profitability.