Brabus Unveils 1,000-HP Bodo Cabriolet, Capping Output at 77 Units

Q: Does Brabus's stunning eight-year secret project signal the end of their exclusive loyalty to modifying Mercedes-Benz vehicles?

No. The Bodo Cabriolet signals Brabus’s expansion beyond Mercedes-Benz, not an end to its Mercedes focus. The clearest evidence is Brabus’s own business mix. Recent coverage citing CEO Constantin Buschmann says Mercedes-based products still account for about 85% of Brabus revenue. That makes Mercedes the company’s core business by a wide margin, even as it broadens into coachbuilt cars and other brands. What has changed is Brabus’s ambition. The Bodo project is not a routine tuning job but a full coachbuilt car based on the Aston Martin Vanquish, with bespoke carbon-fibre bodywork and a heavily reworked V12. Brabus has also already moved beyond Mercedes in other projects, including cars based on Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and Range Rover. In that context, the Bodo is less a break with tradition than the boldest example yet of a strategy already under way. The symbolism matters. Brabus presents the Bodo as an eight-year tribute to founder Bodo Buschmann and as a “next step” for the brand. It suggests Brabus wants to be seen not only as a Mercedes tuner, but also as a luxury performance house and coachbuilder capable of creating ultra-exclusive halo cars. So the Cabriolet does mark a turning point in identity, but not a divorce from Mercedes-Benz. Brabus appears to be evolving from a Mercedes specialist into a broader high-end performance and bespoke manufacturing brand, while keeping Mercedes at the center of its business.

3 articles · Updated · Motor1 · Aug 17

Brabus presented the Bodo Cabriolet at The Quail on August 14 as an open-top Hyper-GT with 1,000 horsepower, a 223-mph electronic top-speed limiter and a starting price of €1,077,000 ($1.17 million).
A reworked Aston Martin-sourced 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 delivers 885 lb-ft through an eight-speed automatic and limited-slip differential, pushing the car from 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds.
Carbon-fiber coachbuilding underpins the project: Brabus said the body is entirely pre-preg carbon, while active aero adds an integrated front spoiler and an electrically extendable rear wing.
Only 77 examples will be built worldwide, with that cap shared with the existing Bodo coupe, making the cabriolet an even rarer halo model aimed at collectors.