With the BRABUS ULTIMA 55, Sunreef Yachts and BRABUS present their first joint project. The 17-meter-long high-performance catamaran combines Sunreef’s multihull architecture with a design language that BRABUS has previously established primarily in the automotive sector.
BRABUS has been active in the marine sector for several years. However, with the ULTIMA 55, this commitment reaches a new scale. The brand’s first catamaran was created together with Sunreef Yachts and is based on their ULTIMA platform. Sunreef provides the naval architecture and the variable space concept. BRABUS takes over the design elaboration and transfers its well-known brand world to a product typology with completely different spatial requirements.
The yacht is recognizable as a BRABUS at first glance. The exterior comes in Graphite Black as standard, with Phantom Grey available as an alternative. Exposed carbon fiber can be found on the wings and side ventilation elements. Illuminated logos and LED lights in the roof area set further accents. Graphite, Red, or Pearl are intended for the exterior upholstery. The design thus consistently follows the aesthetic that BRABUS has established in its vehicles. Dark surfaces meet openly displayed high-performance materials. The brand presence remains deliberately prominent. This clarity thus creates recognizability—however, one could also argue that it leaves the yacht little room for its own characteristic maritime identity.
The transfer continues in the salon. Selected surfaces and seating furniture are covered with BRABUS Moonstone Masterpiece leather. The familiar Triangle quilting pattern appears on the upholstery, with Alcantara on the headliner. The helm station features exposed carbon fiber; aluminum details and illuminated logos extend the brand presence right down to the floor. The central navigation and control unit also received its own BRABUS user interface.
The materials are high-quality and closely coordinated. At the same time, the design proximity to vehicle interiors remains unmistakable here as well. Leather, carbon, and light are transferred almost unchanged into the yacht context. Constantin Buschmann, CEO and owner of BRABUS, describes the ambition as follows: »We asked ourselves what a modern high-performance luxury catamaran should look and feel like. The BRABUS ULTIMA 55 is our answer: a design with a clear identity of its own, real performance, uncompromising quality—and what we call the One Second Wow.«
The ULTIMA 55 shows its most convincing qualities in its handling of available space. Two side platforms expand the stern from 5.6 to 7.6 meters in width when needed. This creates an open area directly above the water. The sun loungers can be converted into benches; a pull-out carbon table can be used for meals or fully retracted.
The interior also remains adaptable. Height-adjustable tables allow for different uses, while a 43-inch screen emerges from the work surface when needed. The yacht is available with two different layouts. One version offers a Master Suite and a VIP cabin for four guests. The second features three guest cabins and accommodates up to six people. A dedicated crew cabin is part of the concept in both cases.
Two six-cylinder engines, each with 533 kW or 725 hp, enable a top speed of over 40 knots. A hydrofoil system generates additional lift at higher speeds and reduces the resistance of the hulls in the water. This is intended to make the ride smoother and more efficient.
The BRABUS ULTIMA 55 is primarily interesting as a brand project: it shows how cohesively an automotive design language can be transferred to a yacht. In this sense, it also thrives on a clear division of tasks: Sunreef develops yacht expertise, space, and platform, while BRABUS shapes brand-related design, materiality, and appearance. Not least for this reason, it is likely to appeal primarily to those customers who wish to continue the familiar BRABUS character beyond the automobile. [ED.]