Brabus Bodo supercar headlines Essen Motor Show, opens November 28

Brabus will roll out its newest coachbuilt supercar, the Bodo, at the Essen Motor Show 2026, parked on tyre maker Continental's stand in Hall 7. The German tuner's hand built, 1000hp coupe is based on the Aston Martin Vanquish and will share hall space with around 500 exhibitors from 13 countries when the show opens to the public on 28 November.

What the Brabus Bodo actually is

The Bodo is Brabus's own low volume supercar rather than a bolt on kit for someone else's car. Brabus's own product page lists a 5.2 litre twin turbo V12, hand built in Bottrop, that makes 735kW, or 1000hp, and 1200Nm of torque. The company quotes 0 to 100kmh in 3.0 seconds and a top speed of 360kmh, with power going through an eight speed automatic to the rear wheels only. Brabus says it will build 77 cars worldwide, at a rate of 10 to 15 a year. German outlet Motor1 reports a starting price of around €1 million, rising to about €1.5 million with options, which at today's rates is well above ₹9 crore before a single customisation is added.

Brabus has named the car after its late founder Bodo Buschmann, and built it around the Vanquish's aluminium structure rather than starting from scratch, which is how most German coachbuilders keep weight and crash certification under control while still rebodying a car almost entirely in carbon fibre.

Dates, tickets and how to follow it from India

Essen Motor Show, Germany's big annual tuning and motorsport festival at Messe Essen, runs its public days from 28 November to 6 December 2026, with a trade and media Preview Day on 27 November, according to the show's own press office. Alongside the Brabus stand, Hall 5 hosts the tuningXperience special exhibition, which the show says brings together more than 150 privately owned show cars and rebuilds, from bare metal restorations to JDM builds, with outputs ranging from 36hp to 1500hp.

There is no India specific ticket or travel package. A day ticket costs €20 online or €25 at the gate, and Preview Day entry is €32 online or €39 at the gate, per listings for the show.

Indian enthusiasts cannot buy a show ticket that includes flights or a stand pass, so the practical way to follow it from India is through the show's own social channels and the walkthrough videos that German tuning YouTubers post through the ten days, plus Brabus's own press room for any official photos of the Bodo.

Why this one stays off Indian roads

Even ignoring the price, a Brabus Bodo has no legal route onto an Indian number plate. Aston Martin sells the standard Vanquish in India through its own dealership, but a car this heavily rebodied would still be imported as a fully built unit, and Autocar India has reported that any CBU with a landed value above $40,000, which the Bodo clears several times over, draws a basic customs duty of 100 percent before IGST and cess are added. On top of that, a one off coachbuilt body has no type approval of its own, so getting it past the RTO as anything other than the donor Vanquish would mean convincing the registering authority that the modification itself is legal, not just paid for. For now, the Bodo is one to watch on a screen from India, not one to shop for.

Sources

• BRABUS BODO specifications, Brabus
• Prominente Rückkehrer zur Essen Motor Show 2026, auto.news
• Essen Motor Show 2026: The festival for car enthusiasts picks up speed, Essen Motor Show press office
• Sonderausstellung tuningXperience führt 150 Showcars und Umbauten in Essen zusammen, reifenpresse.de
• Essen Motor Show 2026: Tickets, Termin und Anreise, Syndikat Asphaltfieber
• Brabus Bodo Fahrbericht, Motor1 Deutschland
• Budget 2023: Imported car, SUV prices could go up thanks to customs duty hike, Autocar India