Brabus has built its name on high-performance automotive design. Now the German company is bringing brabus yacht design to the water with a three-model range built in partnership with a specialist builder.
The move is less of a leap than it might appear. Brabus already makes motorbikes, motorboats and clothing, and it is developing a residential project in Abu Dhabi. Constantin Buschmann, Brabus’s CEO and owner, says the company now sees itself as a luxury design brand first. Its enthusiastic customers, he argues, will follow it into new categories.
“The rationale here is to take them on another journey, into yachts,” Buschmann says. “We just love to design cool things, so why stick with one category?”
The AB Partnership Behind brabus yacht design
Brabus did not build the boats alone. It partnered with AB Yachts, part of the Next Yacht Group’s portfolio. AB Yachts uses construction methods derived from aerospace to shape hulls and control trim. The builder’s website is ABYachts.com.
The range starts with the AB95 and AB110, at roughly 95 feet and 110 feet. A 150-foot model is in development and is due to launch next year. All three share composite hulls, a top speed of 48 knots from steerable water-jet propulsion, and accommodation for 14 guests and crew.
The design is where Brabus expects the boats to stand out. The yachts are low and sleek, and they carry the brand’s visual cues, which is the core of brabus yacht design. An illuminated Brabus roof spoiler sits on top, with LED roof lights nearby. Exposed carbon fibre covers the front wings and the engine air outlet surrounds.
Carbon fibre runs through the yachts, and a similar obsession drives Carbon Noir’s Dramatic Jaguar Type 01 Overhaul, a carbon-heavy reworking worth seeing.
Carbon fibre is a signature material for Brabus cars, and it appears throughout the yachts. Two tables on the sun deck are made from it. Exterior upholstery uses the brand’s triangular quilting pattern, which also covers the driver’s seat. Even the helm carries the Brabus badge, and it is built to each owner’s specification.
Buschmann says a luxury buyer reacts before thinking. “The ultimate reaction of the customer to one of our products has to be visceral first. You see it, you fall in love with it and you want it, all in one second.”
He contrasts that instinct with the engineering culture that dominates German industry. “Almost every company in Germany is steeped in an engineering culture. But luxury products, and yachts are certainly among them, work because their appeal is cultural. Engineers often do not see it that way. These products have to have an attitude and reflect one.” He adds that the attitude he has in mind is one of experience, the kind that has been there and bought the T-shirt, probably 25 years ago.
Buschmann calls the approach to brabus yacht design “dark luxury.” The label reflects Brabus’s fondness for black, though he is quick to add that not everything needs to be black. It also reflects the brand’s history of high-performance vehicles.
“It’s a certain vibe that suggests power, in all senses of the word, but especially in presence,” he says. “A Brabus yacht has to look like it means business. It’s serious. Something like a Batmobile for the water.”
Brabus has worked with outside specialists before, and brabus yacht design is its latest example. Buschmann says the AB partnership gives it access to a new market faster and at lower cost. It also lets the company test customer reactions to new yacht design quickly. “All of that would cost millions if we did it ourselves,” he says.
Power and presence drive car buyers too; CEER’s Groundbreaking Exobot SUV and Sedan offers 1,111 horsepower for buyers chasing raw output.
He describes the project as a useful opening in a difficult period for German carmakers. “One opportunity now seems to inspire three new ones, which is a nice situation to be in, despite the current state of the German car business.”
For Brabus, the yachts test whether a car brand’s visual language can carry into a new category, and brabus yacht design is the first real test. The first three models will show whether buyers who came for the cars will also commit to boats in a new category.
Source: wallpaper.com
Frequently asked questions
Which company partnered with Brabus to build its yachts?
Brabus worked with AB Yachts, part of the Next Yacht Group’s portfolio, to build the boats. The article notes that Brabus did not build the yachts alone.
What yacht models does Brabus plan to offer?
The range starts with the AB95 and AB110, at roughly 95 feet and 110 feet. A 150-foot model is also in development and is due to launch next year.
What is the top speed of Brabus yachts?
All three planned models have a top speed of 48 knots, powered by steerable water-jet propulsion. They also accommodate 14 guests and crew.
What does Brabus mean by dark luxury?
Brabus CEO Constantin Buschmann uses “dark luxury” to describe the design approach for its yachts. The label reflects the brand’s fondness for black and its history of high-performance vehicles.
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