Maybach 57

New Life for Maybach?

Disheartened by talk that Maybach could be given the axe? Then we may have some good news for you. Although as yet unconfirmed, reports indicate that parent company Daimler may be planning to keep its most prestigious marque around a while longer, with several new models planned to make it so.

If they prove accurate, a slew of new Maybachs could be based on the upcoming new Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Among them could be replacements for the current 57 and 62 models, along with a "four-door coupe" in the same mold as the Mercedes CLS, and potentially a four-door convertible – a body-style not seen for decades but often rumored to be in the works at Maybach.

Motivation is expected to come from even more powerful versions of the current twin-turbo V12, along with a new transmission with as many as nine speeds and a possible hybrid variant.

Gallery: 2011 Maybach

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Tags: daimler, maybach, maybach 57, maybach 62

Maybach 57S Coupe by Xenatech

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Three marques sit at the very top of the luxury segment: Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Maybach. Each is owned by one of Germany's carmaking powerhouses: Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler, respectively. Each makes limousines of obscene luxury and status, with price tags to match. But only the first two make two-door coupe versions as well, leaving Maybach with nothing to compete with the Brooklands and Phantom Coupe.

Enter Xenatech. The German engineering firm has teamed up with Daimler to produce a limited edition Maybach coupe to take on its British counterparts. Based on the Maybach 57S, the Xenatech coupe retains the 5.7-meter length and 6-liter twin-turbo V12 engine. But with less weight to move around, the 612 horsepower hustle the big coupe up to 100 kilometers/hour (62 mph) in 5 seconds flat. Don't like it too much, though: with only 100 examples slated for production, each is expected to fetch €650,000, or about $800,000 in American funds... assuming it makes it over the sea to American shores in the first place.

Gallery: Maybach 57 S Coupe by Xenatec

Tags: maybach, maybach 57, maybach 57 s, maybach coupe, xenatec, xenatech

Limousines and Supercars Debut at Beijing Motor Show

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The gulf between perception and reality is often enough to swallow entire countries whole. Take China, for example. The images many still conjure up in their heads when thinking about the Asian giant might come down to squalid shanty towns oppressed by communist overlords. But with the free market taking a greater hold with each passing day, the People's Republic is quickly emerging as a vital market for purveyors of luxury goods, including high-end automobiles. Sure, the average peasant may be able to afford little more than a rickety bicycle, but with the world's largest population numbering over a billion people, even the top fraction of the socio-economic strata can overshadow entire nations.

Against such a backdrop, it should come as no great surprise that the world's premium automakers scrambled to the Chinese capital this year with a wide array of exotic and luxury automobiles. In fact the cars making their world debuts at this year's Beijing Motor Show were enough on their own to outshine the last major international exposition in Manhattan. Follow the jump to see what all the fuss was about.

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Maybach Announces Revised Range for 2011

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Looking for a new German-engineered luxury limousine? Better hop a plane to Beijing, because that's where they've all gathered this year. Audi used the occasion of the Beijing Motor Show to release its new long-wheelbase A8 L flagship, Bentley brought out a special-edition Flying Spur for the Chinese market, Volkswagen released the refreshed Phaeton, and now Maybach has released updates for its range at the show as well.

Upgraded cosmetically, luxuriously and mechanically for 2011, the new Maybach 57, 57S, 62 and 62S are likely the last renditions of the super-luxe Benzes before they're discontinued in a few years. But before they are, the range benefits from a revised V12 (in 542 or 630-horsepower versions) with reduced emissions and fuel consumption. The grille, hood, tail-lights and side mirrors have been reshaped to reduce wind noise. And the first-class interior benefits from reclining seats, a rear partition, 19" LCD monitor (from which occupants can view video feeds from all around the vehicle), an electro-chromatic roof panel, a perfume atomizer and even available Swarovski crystals embedded in the seat piping.

Gallery: 2011 Maybach

Tags: 2010 beijing motor show, 2011 maybach, 2011 maybach 57, 2011 maybach 57 s, 2011 maybach 62, 2011 maybach 62 s, beijing 2010, beijing motor show, china, maybach, Maybach 57, maybach 57 s, Maybach 62, Maybach 62 S

Daimler To Phase Out Maybach Brand

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Since its launch eight years ago, Maybach has largely been characterized as a failed venture. The ultra-premium counterpart to Mercedes-Benz never reached the sales figures which its rivals Bentley (part of the Volkswagen group) and Rolls-Royce (owned by BMW) have enjoyed in the superstrata of the luxury car market. That's largely come down its lackluster product, which appears to all to be little more than a gussied-up Mercedes S-Class, available in 57 and 62-decimeter lengths.

In the face of even further lagging sales, however, reports now indicate that Daimler is preparing to wind down the brand and phase it out entirely. But not before the line-up gets a mild refresh. After that, Mercedes hopes to fill the niche with more exclusive versions of the S-Class, which to our ears sounds more or less the same as where it stands now, only with a different hood ornament.

Gallery: Maybach Landaulet

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Tags: daimler, maybach, maybach 57, maybach 62, mercedes, mercedes-benz, MercedesBenz

Maybach 57 by Project Kahn

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler didn't exactly strike gold with the launch of the Maybach brand. The Rolls-Royce and Bentley rival failed to distinguish itself from the competition (or from its three-pointed-star brethren for that matter) and justify its enormous price tag. Project Kahn would like to help, though.

The British tuning house has a wealth of experience customizing everything from Range Rovers to Aston Martins and everything in between, including the occasional Rolls and Bentley. Their latest offering centers on the Maybach 57, upgrading on the standard specification with custom 22-inch wheels, smoked tail-lamps, tinted privacy glass and an interior that can be fully trimmed to order. The proverbial sky's the limit when it comes to the options, and on the price, so for yet another reason, don't expect to see one on a street near you any time soon.

Gallery: Project Kahn Maybach 57