Brabus lifts the lid on 1,000hp Bodo Cabriolet
Five-metre-long, Aston-based Bodo was already a dramatic hardtop - now Brabus has gone one better
A car created to celebrate the founder of Brabus was never going to be diffident, and so it proved with the Bodo. Unlike anything else out of Bottrop before it (thanks to Aston Martin foundations), yet also recognisably Brabus thanks to its sheer outrageousness, the car was (and is) long, low, large and, well, moody as hell. A fitting flagship for a brand that’s majored on menace for almost half a century.
Sufficiently buoyed by the response to that car, there’s now this - the Brabus Bodo Cabriolet. Just as powerful, just as rare, and perhaps even more jaw-dropping, taking the roof away only further amplifying the attitude. The second comment on the Coupe suggested the Bodo could be Batman’s weekend car; maybe this could be the summer soft top…
As for the original, the Aston Vanquish provides the basis for the Bodo (obviously the Volante in this instance). That’s a little more clear inside rather than out, that pre-preg carbon body meaning nobody is going to mistake the Brabus for its donor car. Now measuring 5,062mm long, 2,027mm wide and weighing 2,315kg despite the carbon, the Bodo really is an old school beast of a 2+2. Not since the days of the Bentley Azure have convertibles like this existed.
The Aston’s engine hasn’t been left untouched, either, despite producing 835hp from the factory. Now it’s rated at 1,000hp and a monstrous 885lb ft, still going through the rear wheels only via an eight-speed auto and limited-slip diff. Brabus claims 0-62mph in 3.0 seconds, double that in 8.5 and a limited top speed of 223mph (!), along with an ‘extremely sporty’ V12 soundtrack from the new exhaust. Shock and awe are going to be in ample supply.
This is more than just an extravagant new body and a surfeit of power for a Vanquish Volante, though. Under the Bodo Cabriolet sits unique KW suspension, developed with Brabus and offering five modes. Plus axle lifts front and rear, of course, for the most awkward hotel car park entrances. Brakes are by carbon ceramic rotors, 410mm at the front and 360mm behind, with bespoke Pirelli tyres. There’s even active aero, a rear carbon spoiler extending as required. Should you need to be in the next country post haste, the Bodo is going to be the perfect car for it.
The roof itself can be raised or lowered in 15 seconds, presumably at the same 31mph possible in the Aston. As tradition surely dictates, the black car set to scare showgoers at The Quail gets a black roof, but there's a Silk Stone body that receives a ‘two-tone Jacquard roof covering’, where the design is woven into the fabric rather than applied on top. Which brings us to the really fun bit of the Bodo: the customisation. The Silk Stone car has the Brabus ‘77’ logo all the way across it; why just have a different roof colour when you can have an entire motif.
And that’s just the start, of course, the Brabus Masterpiece able to be configured with whichever metals, leathers and colours you so desire. Alongside some familiar touchpoints, yes, but with the Brabus vibes coming through loud and clear in the shell quilting, leather in the boot, tailored luggage, and the silhouette embroidered into the seat. It’ll likely make those onboard feel a million bucks - which is handy, because a Bodo Cabrio is 1,077,000 euros before taxes…
“The Brabus Bodo is both the next step for the brand and a tribute to my father,” said Brabus CEO and owner Constantin Buschmann. “A large, attitude-forward Gran Turismo that truly embodies the Brabus DNA while also possessing a completely unique identity of its own. In the end, we had to work eight years to make this dream a reality – and now, we’re taking it one step further with a bold, progressive cabriolet designed in every detail as he would have driven it. That was the statement we wanted to make and,at the same time, the right way to honor his legacy.” He’d surely be pretty chuffed with the result. Shooting Brake next, yeah?
Just looks like more padding over an existing wheel...1970's pre Halfords
How can you be in touch with the road.. must be like driving with oven gloves ?
I think I quite like all the elements individually ( rim excluded ) but not entirely sold on the collective.
Looks like an already big car placed @115% on a photo copier.
Whichever way you spin it, if your spending a million on a look at me trinket ...
It cannot be a good thing that brown rim made it more memorable than anything else for a 1st impression
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