The Brabus Big Boy 1200 Motorhome Is Here to Redefine Luxury Travel and Living

1 week, 5 days ago - 30 October 2024, autoevolution
The Brabus Big Boy 1200 Motorhome Is Here to Redefine Luxury Travel and Living
In their own words, Brabus creates "modern, individual luxury" – a rather vague yet weirdly accurate description for the work of one of the world's most famous automotive aftermarket tuning companies. It also sets the tone for what to expect with their first foray onto the RV market.

Over the many decades of activity, Brabus has built a solid reputation as a customizer of high-end cars, specializing in Maybach and Mercedes-Benz units. With the car enthusiast crowd, the Brabus name hardly needs an introduction of this kind. Suffice it to say that their craftsmanship and unique aesthetic are so outstanding that you simply know a Brabus vehicle from afar, long before you see their logo embedded into the grille.

The same goes for Big Boy 1200, officially their first motorhome that marks their foray onto this segment of the market. The Brabus Big Boy 1200 Masterpiece Motorhome, by its official name, debuted earlier this month and is now available for orders in select territories. It's a luxury motorhome in the truest sense of the word, from the reported $1.5 million price tag to the exquisite finishes, the gorgeous interiors, and the state-of-the-art tech onboard.

Big Boy 1200 is "built for the journey [but] designed for living," according to the German company, so it's equally competent when it comes to traveling as it is for luxurious living at camp. For the latter, it employs a pair of slide-outs on each side, for a total of four, bringing the width of the main living areas to an impressive 4.5 meters (14.7 feet).

The first-ever Brabus motorhome is 12 meters (39.3 feet) long, which explains the "1200" in the name. It offers more than 30 square meters (323 square feet) of living space and four berths for sleeping, as well as a spacious lounge slash dining area, a full and well-equipped kitchen, and a bathroom other RVs can only dream of.

Big Boy 1200 tips the scales at 26,000 kg (56,320 lbs) and rides on three axles, living up to its big boy name. It's big and menacing, elegant and tough, all at the same time. The frame is made of galvanized steel profiles, with the Brabus Masterpiece exterior package – so, plenty of exposed carbon fiber, sleek Brabus branding, and sporty lines.

Once the four slide-outs are deployed and the home stabilized on self-adjusting legs, the ultra-modern, all-black interior is ready for guests and everyday living. The dining area is at the front, right behind the driver's cab, and offers a pair of Brabus leather sofas tailor-made for entertaining. Even the dining table has carbon fiber inserts, while everything else, from the throw pillows to the blankets, bears the Brabus logo.

This space doubles as a viewing lounge or even a workspace, so versatility backs up luxury in a way that renders Big Boy suitable for long-term living.

The kitchen is open-plan and surprisingly well-specced, once you get past the intimidating all-black surfaces. You get a two-burner induction stove, an electric oven, an oversize fridge with a separate freezer, a dishwasher, and even a wine cooling rack with a separate glass rack. Here, too, carbon fiber is used with black woods to provide that very specific Brabus feel and look, so you'll see carbon trim on the fridge or pieces of furniture.

The bathroom is located centrally and serves as a physical divider between the main bedroom and the main living area. It's divided into three different rooms, each with a very specific functionality, so you'll find the open-plan lavatory on one side and the shower room and the toilet room on the other. Fixtures are all-back again, with dark grays serving as contrast.

The bedroom is at the rear of the motorhome, with a transversaly placed king bed with integrated storage, mirrored wardrobes, an expandable desk, and a second large-screen smart TV. Here, too, you will find plenty of exposed carbon fiber (like in the glass trays embedded into the slimline nightstands) mixed with Alcantara and Brabus leather to create maximum comfort and an unparalleled sense of elegance.

The second sleeping space is hidden over the driver's cab – an electrically lowerable bed for two, with a black-out curtain that can be used to separate it from the rest of the cabin at night.

Aesthetics aside, Big Boy 1200 is packed with high-tech, from the automatic entry steps to the slide-outs, a 360-degree camera system, automatic AC, smart home features, and advanced infotainment system. Features include Starlink internet, 4G antenna, and eight roof-mounted solar panels and an onboard battery system.

In terms of autonomy, Big Boy 1200 carries 390 liters (103 gallons) of fuel, 427 liters (113 gallons) of fresh water, a 170-liter (45-gallon) tank for black water and a 270-liter (71-gallon) one for gray. All tanks are heated and insulated.

Power comes from a 12.8-liter 6-cylinder Turbo Diesel engine that produces 390 kW/530 hp and 2,600 Nm/1,918 lb-ft of torque, mated to an automatic transmission.

Top speed is capped electronically at 90 kph (56 mph) and Brabus promises "outstanding comfort and safe handling" in all scenarios. Then again, seeing how Big Boy 1200 was designed as "luxury experience that moves with you" and adapts to your needs to create a home wherever you are, top speed isn't even of the essence. It's one of those cases where "it's the journey, not the destination that matters" applies.

As beautiful as Big Boy 1200 seems in the official renders in the gallery above or in wordy descriptions, it's even more so in the flesh. Below is a full video tour of Brabus' first motorhome: it's what we'd call the perfect example of how you make a memorable entrance. An entrance with a reported price tag of $1.5 million. 

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