Secret Brabus 'Bodo' Coupe Accidentally Revealed by Someone on Reddit

      The Drive, through an anonymous source

      The latest in car news and reviews, with no nonsense

      Sign up for our complimentary daily newsletter to receive the important stories directly to you, every weekday.

      Leaks are commonplace. In the automotive industry, they often occur when a manufacturer is seen testing or transporting a model that hasn’t been officially revealed. This scenario unfolded recently when a random user shared images of Brabus' upcoming “Bodo” supercar on a niche subreddit. Ironically, Brabus had just teased the model on Instagram with a series of shadowy images, even though thousands had already seen the car in its entirety.

      The Reddit user removed the photos from r/whatisthiscar after others pointed out that it was meant to be confidential. One commenter noted, “Looks like the Brabus 77/BODO, which hasn’t been revealed yet.” Another user even shared a screenshot of the original poster stating, “I will take some more pictures tomorrow maybe we can identify it better then.” Unsurprisingly, they deleted that comment as well.

      A source managed to capture the photos before they were erased from the Reddit thread, so we have them available here:

      The Drive, through an anonymous source

      It’s clearly the car that Brabus teased on Instagram. The “77” can be seen just below the rear glass, and the Mercedes SL headlights correspond with those in a post from last week. Any chance of plausible deniability has vanished, I'm afraid.

      The specifications of the vehicle remain uncertain, but as it seems to be based on the Mercedes-AMG SL63, it likely houses a biturbo V8 engine. The standard gasoline version produces 577 horsepower and 593 lb-ft of torque, while the hybrid S E Performance variant significantly boosts that to 805 hp and 1,047 lb-ft of torque. However, I don’t observe a charging port on the back bumper, which suggests that Brabus’ special edition runs solely on fossil fuels and turbocharging.

      Brabus already has the Rocket GT based on the AMG SL, which delivers 1,000 hp. While there’s no assurance that this model will surpass that power, it provides insight into what can be achieved with this platform. Regardless, it may not be long before the specialty manufacturer unveils the car completely.

      At least they made an effort.

      Have a tip or question for the author? Reach out directly at caleb@thedrive.com.