In an extreme example of a company failing to ‘read the room,’ Volkner, an RV builder based in Germany, has revealed its most obnoxious creation to date: a $US7.7 ($10) million gas-guzzling luxury motorhome with a built-in garage that can hold a $US3 ($4) million Bugatti Chiron that boasts three times the horsepower of the RV that hauls it around.
Like the monstrously expensive behemoth TVs revealed at CES every year whose sole purpose is to drum up extra publicity for companies like Samsung and Sony, Volkner (and other luxury RV makers) take advantage of a trade show called the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon to reveal incredibly luxurious homes on wheels that prioritise price tags over practicality. At this year’s show, Volkner debuted its Performance S motorhome and while it isn’t the largest RV ever created, it’s without a doubt the most over-the-top way to spend a holiday glamping in style.
The Performance S’s stand-out feature is the built-in garage located underneath the RV that uses a slide-out platform to stow larger power toys like jet skis, ATVs, and motorcycles. It’s a feature the company actually introduced years ago, and it makes it easier to travel with a separate vehicle as there’s nothing to tow behind the motorhome itself which is already long enough to make navigating roads a challenge.
For the new Performance S, however, Volkner has ensured the sliding garage is large enough to allow a 320 kW Bugatti Chiron as an optional upgrade, adding $US3 ($4) million to the RV’s $US2.4 ($3) million base price. It’s not exactly the ideal vehicle to navigate a campsite, but anyone paying this much money for a motorhome presumably has no plans to subject themselves to the country’s amenity-lacking national parks.
The built-in garage isn’t the only budget-breaking feature on the Performance S. Inside the RV, travellers will find a well-appointed master suite with a raised island bed and a full-sized bathroom with separate showering facilities. (All facilitated with a slide-out extension on one side of the vehicle.)
When parked, the Performance S draws power from a battery bank which can be recharged using a 2,000-watt solar array on the roof, or a gas generator. Other optional upgrades include an espresso machine that retracts into the kitchen counter, a wine cabinet, and even a dedicated office workstation so travellers can prolong their adventures.
But why stop there? If the thought of your RV is generating absurd levels of pollution with the added weight of a 1,800 kg vehicle onboard doesn’t bother you, you’re probably also ok with lots of noise pollution too.
Volkner will also upgrade the Performance S with a $US350,000+ ($470,680)+ Burmester sound system that’s completely customised for the unique size and shape of the RV’s cabin. Will anyone actually buy the Performance S with every one of these options? It’s hard to imagine anyone with enough money to spend over $US7 ($9) million on a motorhome has any actual interest in spending time in a motorhome over an upscale hotel, but clearly, there’s still a market for these monstrosities given Volkner rolls out new models year after year.