After years of tuning Mercedes, BRABUS finally has a car of its own—BRABUS tuning comes standard. Folks, meet the BRABUS Bodo. It is one of the most ambitious vehicles BRABUS has ever created—and a tribute to the company’s late founder, Bodo Buschmann. Named in his honor, the BODO fulfills a long-held vision of creating a grand touring coupe that is unmistakably BRABUS from the ground up.
The story behind the BODO is arguably more important than the car itself. According to BRABUS, Buschmann often spoke of building a large Gran Turismo coupe inspired by the golden age of motoring but interpreted through a modern BRABUS lens. Powerful, elegant, unapologetic, and packed with attitude. Decades later, that vision has finally become reality.
To ensure the car lived up to the dream, BRABUS engineered it around a simple objective: 360 km/h (224 mph). Achieving that meant constructing nearly the entire body from carbon fiber and paying close attention to aerodynamics. The result is a low-slung 2+2 grand tourer featuring active aerodynamic elements, including a two-stage rear spoiler that can even function as an air brake at high speed. A subtle “77” emblem beneath the rear window pays tribute to the year BRABUS was founded.
Naturally, a flagship BRABUS needs serious firepower. Nestled under the hood is a hand-built 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged V12 producing 1,000 hp and 1,200 Nm (885 lb-ft) of torque. The BODO rockets from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.0 seconds, reaches 200 km/h (124 mph) in 8.5 seconds, and keeps charging until an electronic limiter steps in at 360 km/h.
The grand tourer rides on 21-inch BRABUS Monoblock Z-GT “Shadow Edition” forged wheels wrapped in bespoke Continental SportContact 7 Force tires developed specifically for the car. Adaptive suspension, five drive modes, and a lift system that raises the vehicle by 25 mm (1 inch) help make the BODO usable beyond the occasional autobahn run.
Inside, the BRABUS Masterpiece interior combines black leather, black Nubuck, carbon fiber, and numerous nods to Buschmann himself. His signature is embroidered into the door panels, while the silhouette of the BODO adorns the seat backrests. Each car also includes a matching leather Weekender bag, a bespoke key cover, and a blockchain-backed Digital Product Passport that records authenticity and ownership.
Production is limited to just 77 examples worldwide, with BRABUS planning to build only 10 to 15 cars annually. In other words, spotting one in the wild will likely be rarer than seeing a BRABUS owner complain about fuel economy.
We have no idea about the pricing, but rest assured, it is not cheap. For those with big, fat bank account may go ahead and request a quote. However, we heard all 77 have been spoken for. I am not sure how true that is. No harm asking if you’re raring to splurge. I would if I had that kind of money.
Images: BRABUS.
