It was back in March that rumors started circulating that the end of Maybach->ke52 was near. In fact, they had even produced two new facelift models whose purpose was to bring in a huge sales increase to serve as a life preserver for the brand. Now, Daimler is seeing some new opportunities in China, North America, the Middle East, and Russia, so the brand may live on regardless of whether or not the two life preservers do their duty.

With these markets in mind, Daimler is preparing a big revival for Maybach. The new generation will be launched in 2012, on an entirely new platform. There will be five models, including a four-door coupe and a long-wheelbase convertible. For the sake of simplicity, all five models will be powered by the same engine: the faithful 6.0-liter V-12 used in Maybach's current 62S->ke1113 and Zeppelin->ke3366 editions. This engine produces 545 HP for the base versions and 630 HP for the S ones. There is also a possibility for a more advanced hybrid engine.

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