Bodo<\/a> is a fully bespoke, coachbuilt hypercar based on the Aston Martin Vanquish. It takes the Vanquish\u2019s twin-turbocharged V12 and wraps it in a completely new Brabus-designed body and interior.<\/p>\nWhile the Bodo is Brabus\u2019 first truly bespoke road car of the modern era, it likely won\u2019t be the last. Speaking to Motor1 in Monterey, CEO Constantin Buschmann said the project represents an important part of the company\u2019s future\u2014and something we could see more of going forward.<\/p>\n
‘I said to the team back then, ‘We’re going to do one uncomfortable thing a year. We’re gonna put ourselves outside of our comfort zone one time per year, minimum.’ And we’ve done that ever since\u2026 [Bodo] kind of feels like coming full circle. Because this car shows what you’ve been developing through going out of our comfort zone. Over and over and over again.’<\/p>\n
The Bodo also represents an entirely new way of thinking for Brabus. Rather than starting with a donor car and figuring out what the company could do with it\u2014as it does with many of its other projects\u2014Brabus started with the idea and worked backward to find the right platform.<\/p>\n
‘So we said, ‘We’re gonna build this car. What delivers the technology? What can we work with so that we get to the specs that we want?’ And [the Vanquish] turned out to be the solution.’<\/p>\n
![\"Brabus](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/16x9-tr.png\")
<\/p>\n
Brabus Bodo Cabriolet Silkstone<\/p>\n
Photo by: Brabus<\/p>\n
According to Buschmann, the company considered several platforms, including a few Mercedes-Benz options. The team studied everything from the A-pillar and wheelbase to the front and rear overhangs, turning radius, and underlying electronic and mechanical architecture.<\/p>\n
The goal was to find a platform that could support the car Brabus wanted to build. The company ultimately landed on the Aston Martin Vanquish.<\/p>\n
‘It was not a project with the Vanquish\u2026 To be very honest, I’ve quite literally never seen a Vanquish [and Bodo] side-by-side. This is not something I have ever compared.’<\/p>\n
The result is the car we saw in Monterey: a stunning, coachbuilt 2+2 grand tourer named after Buschmann’s father and Brabus founder, Bodo Buschmann. Its modified V12 produces 1,000 horsepower, while Brabus says the car can hit 62 miles per hour in 3.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 224 mph. Just 77 examples will be built.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Photo by: Brabus<\/p>\n
But the Bodo\u2019s importance goes beyond those numbers.<\/p>\n
Buschmann says the company\u2019s expansion beyond Mercedes-Benz wasn\u2019t necessarily part of some grand master plan. Instead, it happened largely because customers kept asking Brabus to work on cars outside its traditional comfort zone.<\/p>\n
‘We expanded the brand because people kept coming to us and saying, ‘I know your quality. I’ve been your customer. I bought your product. I like it\u2026’ And then I asked the team, \u2018Why are we not doing this? Why are we not doing that?\u2019 And they said, \u2018Because we’ve never done this.\u2019 When that’s the answer, it’s time to change. That’s what we do.’<\/p>\n
That philosophy has pushed Brabus into increasingly unfamiliar territory. The company now works on everything from Porsche 911s and Bentleys to Range Rovers, boats, and motorcycles.<\/p>\n
For Buschmann, though, simply putting a Brabus badge on something isn\u2019t enough. The company has to understand the segment it\u2019s entering.<\/p>\n
‘If you design a boat, you can’t design a boat as a car designer. You have to design it as a boat designer.’<\/p>\n
That mindset eventually helped lead Brabus to the Bodo.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Photo by: Brabus<\/p>\n
After years of experimenting outside its traditional business, Buschmann says the company has developed enough confidence in its design language and engineering capabilities to create something entirely from scratch.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean Brabus is about to stop building its familiar Mercedes-based monsters. Those cars remain the heart of the business. But the company is no longer asking whether it should change; it\u2019s asking how quickly it can change.<\/p>\n
‘We are actually only discussing the degree of change in the company, not whether we change. It’s the speed of change, and how much more we can take, and how much more growth we can take.’<\/p>\n
That growth is already forcing Brabus to build new teams and acquire companies to keep up with the opportunities coming its way. Buschmann credits the company\u2019s long-standing reputation for professionalism, combined with a younger team willing to experiment, for creating that opportunity.<\/p>\n
The Bodo is a pretty clear example of where that approach can lead.<\/p>\n
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