Brabus Built The Car Its Founder Always Dreamed Of. We Drove It
Eight years after Bodo Buschmann's death, Brabus finally realized his vision with the 1,000-horsepower Bodo.
The weather in Bottrop is as dramatic as its protagonist. A dreary 54 degrees Fahrenheit, steady rain showers, and gusts of wind set the scene as I arrive at the Brabus facility.
I'm greeted with a dry "Bottrop weather," as if the city itself is still mourning one of its most famous sons: Bodo Buschmann, founder of the luxury tuning house.
One of his dreams, sadly unrealized during his lifetime, is now making its rounds around the premises with customers behind the wheel: the first car developed in-house by Brabus. Eight years after his death, it's finally here. A Gran Turismo that's "confident. High-class. Uncompromising. Inspired by the golden era of the automobile," as Buschmann once envisioned it.
Meet the Brabus Bodo. At 16.6 feet long, this is one seriously imposing coupe. Based on the Aston Martin Vanquish, it’s a dramatic tribute that perfectly captures the Brabus spirit. And it looks every bit as mean as the V12 sounds.
This story originally appeared on Motor1 Germany
Bodo Would Be Proud of His Bodo
A massive grille dominates the front end, standing tall against the wind as if Werner and Andi had slapped it together before heading off on a diving expedition. Sharply angled headlight strips frame the theatrical display.
The impossibly long hood features two deep grooves that also help cool the 1,000-horsepower engine beneath it. From there, the coupe's seemingly endless silhouette sweeps back toward a rounded, flat tail, complete with a rear fin, pixel-style lighting, and an illuminated Brabus signature.
An active rear wing and an imposing diffuser help keep the aerodynamics in check. The exhaust tips, stacked in pairs along the sides, produce a surprisingly restrained burble when the engine fires up.
"Can I take a picture?" asks a grinning passerby as they approach.
It's a timely reminder that, as an automotive journalist, I'm sometimes guilty of taking extraordinary cars for granted. Sure, this one has four wheels and a steering wheel, but it's hardly just another car.
Then again, Brabus is about as far from normal as our chancellor is from understanding the everyday concerns of ordinary citizens. Thanks for bringing me back down to earth.
Even without the commentary, though, there's something surreal about watching the deep-black, full-carbon Bodo rumble out of the wash bay. It's as if Batman himself were preparing for his next mission, taking one last breath before unleashing the beast.
In that moment, I think of Bodo Buschmann and reckon he'd be pretty pleased with Brabus' first coupe.
Bodo Knows When To Keep His Cool
The engine is anything but ordinary. The Bodo's front-mounted 5.2-liter V12 comes from Aston Martin, but Brabus has thoroughly reworked it with a revised injection system, turbocharging setup, and bespoke engine calibration. The result is an output comfortably into four-digit territory.
The engine is dressed in exposed carbon fiber with gold flakes embedded in the finish. A gold plaque signed by Brabus CTO Jörn Gander adorns the strut brace.
When you've got the skills, you've got the skills. Between 2,900 and 5,000 rpm, the V12 delivers a ridiculous 885 pound-feet of torque, channeled through an eight-speed automatic transmission to the massive 21-inch rear wheels. Those are wrapped in custom-made Continental SportContact 7 Force tires measuring 325/30 ZR21.
Time to get behind the wheel.
The engine is anything but ordinary.
The asphalt is still wet, and broken branches litter the road. So Benja and I take it easy with Bodo. Surprisingly, the Bottrop beast is perfectly happy to play along.
For all its outrageous power, this is still a proper plus-two Gran Turismo with a planted stance, built for leisurely cruising whenever it—or, more accurately, its driver—feels like taking it easy.
Visibility is surprisingly good, the ergonomically sculpted seats are wonderfully comfortable, and the throttle response, brakes, and suspension are all remarkably relaxed. Sure, the mighty Bodo can give you a little jolt over uneven surfaces, but it's far more composed than some of its rivals.
Five driving modes also make everyday driving and long-distance trips entirely feasible. You won't necessarily arrive at your destination with a grimace on your face and a sore back. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded gliding along the A3 toward the Dutch North Sea in this sinister Brabus machine.
'With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility'
But we had other plans: unleashing Bodo's powerhouse.
On a quiet stretch of road, I give the accelerator a healthy shove. Ah, Bodo's awake, I think, as this tribute to the founder responds with a playful little dance from the rear axle.
There's a bit of tire smoke here, a few tiny sideways moments there, but nothing too dramatic. Bodo knows its own strength and remains remarkably composed, even on wet pavement, while still putting a huge grin on my face.
The acceleration is smooth and progressive rather than the brutal, gut-punching delivery you get from some unruly electric machines. The power builds naturally, making the experience feel more organic.
On the highway, we reach a modest 155 mph. It feels more like 75 mph in a mid-size SUV. There's clearly plenty more in reserve, as the relentless forward thrust makes abundantly clear. The Bodo's claimed top speed is 224 mph, after all. At that pace, I could theoretically make it from the Ruhr area to Hamburg in an hour, provided the Autobahn were empty.
Sometimes, you have to put these absurd numbers into perspective to avoid becoming numb to them amid the constant barrage of performance figures. Yet the Bodo remains remarkably grounded, much like its founder.
It's bold and forward-thinking when the situation calls for it, but for the most part, it's calm, confident, and measured.
When I need to overtake on a country road, a gentle squeeze of the accelerator is all it takes to slip past slower traffic. The Bodo handles corners with confidence, too, although the wet conditions encourage us to leave plenty of margin for error.
And if the road gets a little rough, a lift system on the front and rear axles can raise the body by about an inch, giving you a little extra ground clearance.
A Million-Euro Car With Your Name On It
All of this is easily controlled with a quick press of a button from the cockpit, where I've now been comfortably settled for some time.
The seat bolsters provide plenty of lateral support without squeezing you into place. Looking around, I find exposed carbon fiber mixed with various Nubuck leather surfaces. Even the floor mats are made of leather!
The color scheme is appropriately restrained, with Piano Black and Shadow Gray paying tribute to the founder's tastes. The carbon trim recalls Brabus' heritage, while the round, turbine-style air vents hint at the company's close ties to Mercedes-Benz.
Of course, if subtlety isn't your thing, there's plenty of room for customization. You can order the carbon fiber in neon green, the leather in pink, and the stitching in orange. Not exactly Buschmann's style, perhaps, but that's the beauty of it.
The founder's signature is emblazoned on the door panels. But it could just as easily be yours—or your grandma's. You just have to be prepared for the price to climb from around €1 million to as much as €1.5 million with all the customization options. The possibilities are practically endless.
The rear seats consist of two small individual shells. They're suitable for children or perhaps a dog, but anyone taller than 4 feet 3 inches probably won't be comfortable back there.
The trunk, meanwhile, offers a decent amount of space. If only the opening weren't so small, you could probably squeeze three or four crates of soda into the back. Or, in true Tegtmeier fashion, Bottrop beer. You'll just have to be mindful of the size of whatever you're bringing along. There's plenty of room inside that big rear end, provided your luggage can fit through the opening.
One thing keeps nagging at me as the drive comes to an end: the license plate.
Sure, BOT-BB 77 is a fitting tribute to Bodo Buschmann, the brand's founding year, and the 77 examples that will be built. But imagine if the man had been born in Bochum instead. Brabus could have put BO-DO 77 on the plate. How perfect would that have been?
Another 77 examples are planned as convertibles, by the way. I'd happily volunteer to take one off Brabus' hands, purely out of the goodness of my heart. I'd just need a more generous fuel discount than the 17 cents I'm currently getting.
But Bottrop, come on! Before you start crying again, I'm not trying to take your Bodo away. Both the man and the machine are exactly where they belong. After all, it's hard to imagine this wild, wonderful combination coming from anywhere else.
Ferrari has its Enzo. Opel has its Adam. And now, Brabus finally has its Bodo.
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