What's the news?
As we reported last week, the Maybach name is making a comeback to Mercedes - and now we have more details on a car that should be a dream come through for captains of industry.
Exterior
Worry not if you thought the 1997-2014 Maybach was hideously overblown; this time around, Maybach will be used as a new nameplate, rather than a standalone model as before. So, as the Benz name gets pushed out for products from Affalterbach, now known as Mercedes-AMG, this ultra-luxury machine will be the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.
That's right, it's essentially an even more opulent S, with an extra 200mm in between the axles compared to a long-wheelbase S-Class, for a figure of 3,365mm and an overall length of 5,453mm. And the only way to ensure it's not just a long-wheelbase S-Class you're looking at is by staring at the sides; a new swage line is added and there are revised rear doors - easily identifiable as the triangular quarter-light window has moved into the C-pillar, meaning the rear seats are behind the door apertures for extra privacy for occupants within. The double-M logo of Maybach Manufaktur is also present on the C-pillar.
Interior
The company is adamant that Mercedes-Maybach is not merely an equipment line but a sub-brand aimed at customers 'for whom status is important'. Quilted leather would appear to signify something with more 'peerless exclusivity', as the images show that the car's interior is caked in the stuff. Exclusive trims and chrome work further mark the Maybach's cabin out, as well as an IWC analogue clock in the dash, Maybach crests embossed in key places and hand stitching in the door trims. The two rear seats are 'executive' with any number of adjustable settings, plus a 'voice amplification' feature via the Burmester surround sound package that allows easier communication between front and back of the car - given there's also a Chauffeur Package, you can guess that most owners of Mercedes-Maybachs will be sat in the rear of the vehicle most of the time.
Mechanicals
Top of the Mercedes-Maybach range will be the S 600, utilising a biturbo 6.0-litre V12 engine with 530hp. Maximum torque is 830Nm from just 1,900rpm out to 4,000rpm, with economy of 24.1mpg and 274g/km CO2. A little lower down this exclusive pecking order is the M-M S 500, also a biturbo but this time a 4.7-litre V8. It packs 455hp and 700Nm, with a combined fuel economy figure of 31.7mpg and CO2 of 207g/km. Both cars do 0-100km/h in 5.0 seconds dead and hit the limiter at 250km/h, while the S 500 gets a nine-speed automatic and the S 600 a seven-speed item. The Mercedes-Maybach has a Cd figure (coefficient of drag) of just 0.26, making it pretty efficient at cutting through the air.
Anything else?
Stuttgart claims that, thanks to 'aeroacoustics', the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class is the 'world's quietest production saloon car'... but only for passengers sitting in the rear. This luxury sub-brand will make almost simultaneous debuts at both the Chinese Guangzhou Show and the Los Angeles Auto Show, two key markets for this sort of car.