Rijdende VIP-ruimte begint bij €1,5 miljoen ex!
Brabus, a renowned builder of extremely fast and luxurious sports and off-road vehicles, is taking a detour with the Big Boy. The model is extreme in every way, even when it comes to top speed… We showed it to you earlier, now we also know what this mega-sized camper will cost.
On paper, this Brabus immediately makes the hearts of car enthusiasts beat faster, even though it has a diesel engine: a cylinder capacity of 12.8 liters, a power of 530 hp, and a towing force of 2,600 Nm. With such values, you’re the king in every pub – until you look at the top speed and can hardly believe your eyes: 90 km/h. The large, black device that is ready for us today for a closer acquaintance is by far the slowest Brabus of all time. But as an exception, the car customizer from Bottrop, Germany, is not about driving this time, but mainly about standing still. After all, this is not a tuned passenger car, but the first camper from Brabus. And as always, they were not satisfied with compromises; the vehicle bears the name ‘Big Boy’ with pride. Because the basis was not a modest Mercedes V-class or Sprinter, but the Actros. Indeed, a huge truck. On the three-axle chassis, Brabus, together with the Belgian specialist STX Motorhomes, has placed a structure that is hardly to be surpassed in terms of luxury.
Two electrically extendable modules
Because space is ultimately the ultimate form of luxury, two electrically extendable modules have been placed on each side of the camper, increasing the living space of the twelve-meter-long truck to more than 30 square meters. This way, you can do a nice dance or practice yoga, for example, in front of the 1.60-meter-wide double bed in the separate area at the very back. But before you reach your private retreat in the back, you first enter a spacious kitchen after the door is unlocked very neatly by fingerprint. Overlooking the cockpit, you have a fantastic view forward thanks to the enormous windshield. If you’ve seen enough, you can plop down in the opposite direction on a large sofa and watch a 43-inch screen on which the world of digital entertainment is accessible thanks to Starlink. Yes, even when the Big Boy is on the road.
Corner sofa, kitchenette, wine rack with climate control
Guests can settle comfortably on a corner sofa. On the left is a kitchenette that would certainly not look out of place in a luxury villa; it contains a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a freezer, and even a wine rack with climate control. From this room, you enter the bedroom via the natural stone-finished sanitary area, which contains a huge sink, a separate toilet, and a rain shower. There is a second 43-inch television placed in front of the bed, and you will find more closet space than in most hotel suites. The layout itself is not unique. What makes the Brabus special is the finesse in terms of colors and choice of materials, because it is inspired by the cars of Brabus. This way you spot carbon fiber trim everywhere, carefully stitched leather and Alcantara, and dark consoles. And of course, the designers have also added some special details, such as the slats that are incorporated in the vacuum part of the double glazing and open and close as if by magic and remain absolutely dust-free there. Or take the automatic vacuuming system, which works with negative pressure and for which there is a connection in every corner.
Sitting nice and high
The driver must be satisfied with the standard engine, but with a six-cylinder turbo diesel of almost 13 liters you cannot feel shortchanged. You literally sit elevated above the other traffic on an air-suspended seat and look at the world from a height of 2.50 meters – even the largest SUVs become toy cars. Meanwhile, you can still steer the black colossus with your little finger and your big toe, because that is all it takes to turn this immovable property into movable property. Of course, you have to take the proportions into account and look ahead well. The Big Boy is just a bit bigger than average, to put it mildly. The turning circle is also not small and despite the loud hissing of the compressed air braking system, it obviously does not come to a stop as quickly as the super sports cars from the same stable.
Washing machine and dryer
Although Brabus has left the engine and chassis alone this time, the driver does not miss out. Of course, he or she sits in a cabin that is finished with leather and other embellishments, the gaze glides over carbon fiber consoles, and hi-fi sound is available from an audio installation that even drowns out the sound of the thickest diesel engine. What the Big Boy lacks in driving dynamics, it compensates for with outward appearance. On the outside, like every Brabus, it is embellished with carbon fiber and chrome, and even without a sports exhaust, this diesel really does not go unnoticed. In addition to the luxurious ambiance and custom-made furnishings, there are also plenty of systems that provide comfort on board; from the solar panels on the roof to the generator, from the water purification system to the parking heater and from the climate system to the washing machine and dryer in the basement.
Space like in a holiday apartment, luxury like in a five-star hotel and also an appearance that overshadows every other camper: of course there is a price tag attached to that. The amount of approximately €100,000 for the bare chassis is just the beginning. Because when the team in Bottrop is finished with all the modifications after a few months, there is eventually an amount of approximately 1.5 million euros on the invoice. Please note that we have not yet talked about Dutch taxes. In addition, the Big Boy has a great thirst; expect 40 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers. And don’t forget the few thousand that you spend on obtaining a large driver’s license, because you need it to be allowed to drive the 30-ton Big Boy in loaded condition. But driving is actually a side issue in this case. Anyone who can afford it leaves the driving to the staff. Anyway, Brabus does not expect the Big Boy to be used for holiday trips and that it will visit the campsites on the Côte d’Azur or the Costa Brava. No, it is more intended as accommodation for VIPs at major events. Brabus is thinking of tennis tournaments, equestrian sports, film productions and of course racing. The unusual new modesty of its builder in terms of performance is more than compensated for there. And if you want to let loose on the autobahn, you can buy a Brabus Rocket GTS? After barely more than 20 seconds, that car already has more than 300 km/h on the clock. The Big Boy is just out of the starting blocks.