If you thought BRABUS exclusively built murdered-out Mercedes G-Wagens for Instagram influencers, it is time to recalibrate. The German tuning powerhouse has just unveiled its first-ever coachbuilt model, the BRABUS Bodo. Created as a tribute to the company’s late founder, Bodo Buschmann, this is a 1000hp, full-carbon hyper-GT that makes modern hybrid supercars look thoroughly apologetic.
Crucially, BRABUS bypassed Mercedes-Benz for the foundation. Beneath the bespoke carbon-fibre bodywork lies the chassis and powertrain of the latest Aston Martin Vanquish. BRABUS has taken the Aston’s front-mid-mounted 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 and completely unchained it.
Output has been wound up to a staggering 735kW (999PS) and 1200Nm, easily eclipsing the standard Vanquish’s 614kW/1000Nm. There is zero hybrid assistance here. No electric torque-fill, no silent EV mode. Just a full-fat, heavily turbocharged twelve-cylinder engine sending power exclusively to the rear tyres via an eight-speed automatic transaxle.
The performance metrics are deeply serious. It will dispatch the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.0 seconds and 0-200km/h in 8.5 seconds. Keep the throttle pinned, and it will cover 0-300km/h in 23.9 seconds before V-maxing at a claimed 360km/h top speed.
Visually, it is pure, dark theatre. The bespoke bodywork ditches sweeping British elegance for blunt, aggressive German brutality. It features a menacing shark-nose front fascia, massive ram air intakes, and a dramatic boat-tail rear end with a custom taillight theme. Thanks to the aluminium monocoque and carbon panels, dry weight is kept to a highly respectable 1774kg.
Inside, the 2+2 cabin, the core Aston Martin multimedia architecture carries over, ensuring the tech actually functions on a trans-continental run. The rest is completely re-trimmed in black leather and Nubuck, featuring Buschmann’s signature stitched into the door panels. Buyers also receive a blockchain-based digital product passport to validate vehicle authenticity.
BRABUS is capping production at just 77 units globally, a nod to the company’s 1977 founding year. Pricing starts at a cool €1,000,000 (approximately AU$1.64 million). In an industry rapidly pivoting to low-calorie, electrified performance, the Bodo is a loud, unapologetic, internal-combustion masterpiece.
