Maybach cars

2011 Maybach Edition 125!

Maybach is celebrating its 125th anniversary with the unveiling of a one-off Edition 125! at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt. According to the manufacturer this special edition model "presents exquisite new possibilities for individually styling the high-end saloons."

The Maybach Edition 125! was created as a celebration of the 125 years of the automobile and it also honors the ingenious designer behind the brand, Wilhelm Maybach. The 125! is painted in a newly created Tahiti Black/ Patagonia Silver combination that works well with the lavish contour lighting and laser-engraved light motif in the front armrest. Other features for this special one-off model include a glove compartment lid that has been embroidered with the signature of Wilhelm Maybach, silver-colored top-stitching, silver carbon fiber and black piano lacquer trims, 20" matte black wheels with high-sheen spokes, and a newly styled radiator grille.

Along with the new Edition 125!, Maybach also brought the restyled versions of the 57 and 62 that debuted earlier this year. These models received a new chrome radiator grille, a new front bumper, a redesigned hood, re-styled side mirrors, new rear light clusters, and new-look 21-spoke, 19-inch wheels for the standard models and 12-spoke, 20-inch wheels for the S variants. The 57S and 62S models are powered by a 12-cylinder engine that develops a total of 630 HP. The 57 and 62 models get a 6.0 liter V12 supercharged and turbocharged engine that develops 542bhp.

Birdman becomes proud owner of an $8 million Maybach Exelero; Hasn’t paid for it yet

Rappers tend to have some of the biggest paychecks known to man. Even "Birdman" who may not be the most recognized or the most talented rapper has enough money to splurge now and again. Keeping that in mind, it’s no wonder that he recently became the owner of a Maybach Exelero for which he paid an incredible $8 million. Considering Forbes lists him as the fourth wealthiest rapper and he is also the proud owner of a Bugatti Veyron and a Maybach Landaulet, this latest purchase shouldn’t astound anyone.

"They got this new Maybach that I want that costs $8 million, I gotta have it," he said in a recent interview, and why shouldn’t he when his net worth is estimated to be $100 million?

The Exelero is powered by a V12 biturbo engine that develops an impressive 700 HP at 5,000 rpm and 753 lm.ft of maximum torque at 2,500 rpm. It can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and hits a top speed of 218 mph. If that isn’t impressive enough, there is only one Exelero in the world.

UPDATE 08/15/2011: Either Birdman has changed his mind or the money from his old CDs isn’t coming in as fast as he would like it to because the rapper has yet to pay for his expensive new ride. According to a representative of European entrepreneur, Arnaud Massartic (the current owner of the Exelero), Birdman has yet to pay for the Maybach. All this means is that anyone with a spare $8 million can still snag the vehicle and pull a Jay-Z/Kanye makeover. (MotorAuthority)

Video: Jay-Z and Kanye West Kill a Maybach 57 and Then Auction It

With a price tag of more than $340K, the Maybach 57 is definitely a car that will only be driven by some of the richest people in the world. Then again, sometimes some of the richest people in the world shouldn’t be allowed to drive it.

In their latest video, "Otis," rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West have done the unthinkable and destroyed a perfectly good Maybach limousine. No, it wasn’t an accident; these guys did it on purpose. Why? Apparently, they wanted to customize the Maybach for their video. Next time, they should take Otis Redding’s word to heart and Try a Little Tenderness.

Nevertheless, this car is actually getting auctioned off to benefit the East African Drought Disaster, so we hope there are people out there that actually like what these guys have done.

Aston Martin and Maybach will bring a concept car to Frankfurt

Rumors about a partnership between Aston Martin and Maybach first appeared at the end of last year when we reported that the two companies would team up for a luxury sedan. Now, AutoCar reports that the two companies are set to bring a concept car developed together to the Frankfurt show in September 2011.

While neither Aston Martin nor Maybach would comment on this rumor, it is believed that the concept to be displayed in Frankfurt will be a luxury car with a high-quality interior finished to the hand-crafted standards of a British luxury saloon.

This news shouldn’t really surprise anyone considering Mercedes needs to decide by the end of June which partner they will choose to develop replacements for the 57 and 62 saloons. This type of partnership is mutually beneficial because Aston Martin can bring its interior design skills to the table, particularly the use of traditional materials in conjunction with hi-tech features, and Mercedes can share its new alloy body technology and engines for third-generation Vantage and DB9 models.

2011 Maybach 57 Wedding Commemorative by Project Kahn

Weddings are a huge deal for just about every woman with a breath and for Kate Middleton, the event is even more spectacular considering she is tying the knot with none other than Prince William. An event like this is sure to be on the calendars of every romantic in the world and would likewise never slip past the automakers marketing departments as a fleeting thought so finding a vehicle to mark the occasion wasn’t something we thought would be difficult. Turns out, we were right. Project Kahn has taken the time to create a special Maybach 57 Wedding Commemorative edition, which is appropriately painted in pearl white.

The Wedding Commemorative Maybach 57 will feature special paintwork and finish to go along with the pearl white exterior and will also make good use of a new set of 22" wheels. The 57 will also have Project Kahn Maybach 57 smoked rear lights, special interior components, and Pentagon privacy glass. The royal tribute carriage is made complete with a number plate fit for a prince: 4 HRH. For those that do not know, HRH stands for His/Her Royal Highness.

Project Kahn explains the intention behind the special edition: "Project Kahn understands the meaning of traveling in style and with the conversion we perform on this prestige vehicle there is no more of a stylish way to travel. The 4 HRH number plate is worthy of befitting a vehicle such as the Project Kahn Maybach 57. And as a proud Englishman and designer, this is our way of wishing the royal couple many happy years together."

Another model getting the royal treatment is the Lexus LS600h. The hybrid sedan hit it big as Prince Albert II of Monaco and his future wife, Miss Charlene Wittstock, will be driving the Lexus during the shindig. We’re sure these won’t be the only royal vehicles hitting the procession so we’ll keep a look out for any more.

2011 Maybach Guard

Maybach is all about luxury, but now the company has unveiled an armored version for those who want to combine hardcore safety with that same luxury. Called the Maybach Guard, this new vehicle is based on the 62 model and features an integrated safety system by the German engineers in Sindelfingen.

The Maybach Guard has received a special armor made of highly specialized steel and high-tech Kevlar integrated in the body shell. Sounds pretty hefty, but in reality, the armor only adds 460 kilos to the car’s total weight, so no changes had to be made to the drive train, suspension, or braking-system.

The new Guard system will not only offer high protection, but it will also be the only armored car in the world to be able to reach a top speed of 155 mph and get from 0 to 60 in just 5.7 seconds.

After the integration of the other special protective features, the vehicle moves onto the standard assembly room in the Sindelfingen production plant, where masters of craftsmanship dedicate all their skills to ensure the highest standard in the individualization process.

2011 Maybach 57S Coupe by Xenatec

Who is Xenatec? Well, if you’ve been around the tuning block, you’ve probably heard of this German coachbuilder who has been announcing plans for amazing cars for quite some time now.

After years of talking, Xenatech finally released their latest creation, the Maybach 57S Coupe. The German coachbuilder will be bringing their new prized vehicle to Geneva, but ironically enough, the launch won’t take place at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Instead of joining the rest of the automotive world at the Palexpo Center, Xenatech will be pulling the covers off of the new 57S Coupe at a specially built pavilion in the gardens of “La Reserve” hotel on the banks of Lake Geneva.

Why they decided on doing this is a question that we don’t have an answer to. Whatever the case may be, these guys probably want all the attention for themselves, which isn’t a bad thing. At the very least, a lot of people attending the Geneva Motor Show should be buzzing about the $1 million-dollar luxury car that’s being launched across town.

Details on the Maybach 57S Coupe by Xenatec after the jump.

2011 Maybach Cruiserio Coupe

German coachbuilder, Xenatec, gets its kicks from making short cars long, long cars short, and long cars even longer. This is evident in their many zany interpretations, including their transformations for the Audi R8 and the Porsche 911. But their craziest package is yet to come with the Maybach Cruiserio Coupe, developed by Daimler and Saudi-based Auto Kingdom. There will only be 100 units built at a price of $940,000.

"The new Cruiserio coupe demonstrates a vision for design and production which AutoKingdom shares with the two German companies. This vision is the result of intellectual cooperation. The new generation features an advanced and ultra-elegant design by the most experienced and skilled automobile engineers and specialists who have deep knowledge of the demands of owners of luxury cars and their vision for an ultra-luxurious car which surpasses all what they saw in the past and is set to beat what they could see in the future."

The Cruiserio Coupe is powered by a V12 engine with an output of 605 HP and a sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds, while top speed hits the 170 mph mark. Pretty amazing numbers considering we’re talking about a 5.7 meter luxury coupe.

UPDATE 12/29/2010: Well, it didn’t take long for the luxury ride to find its way into dealerships. We recently got word that the very first model of the Xenatec Maybach 57S Coupe is now being put up for sale by AutoKingdom, a luxury car dealer in Saudi Arabia for al ittle less than a million dollars. Incidentally, AutoKingdom is one of only two companies outside of Germany that has been given the rights to sell the limited-run vehicle with the other dealership being Russia’s ArmorTech Group.

Aston Martin and Maybach team up for luxury sedan

Aston Martin may be priming themselves to design and build a new Maybach ultra luxury sedan, according to European press. That is, if talks between them and Daimler are successful.

This potential partnership is already in the works and a mockup of a new Maybach limousine has already been set in motion to make its world debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. This new model will use technologies and parts from Aston Martin and will help Maybach create much cheaper models. Aston Martin will benefit by gaining access to Daimler’s four-wheel-drive technology for an off-road vehicle that will be based on the Mercedes GL-Class. The British company will also get Daimler’s fuel-efficient diesel and gasoline engines. It’s the classic "You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours" scenario.

A Daimler insider told Reuters: "There is no cooperation deal with Aston Martin. We are often in talks about various topics, such as the donating technology for the Lagonda show car." Aston Martin was not available for comment.

2010 Maybach eRikscha

Apparently, even rickshaws can be turned into futuristic concept cars, and shockingly enough, this one has a Maybach badge on it. Sure, it’s only a concept vehicle, but can you imagine riding the streets of the Far East on a Maybach rickshaw in the not-so-distant future?

Yep, we can’t either.

Combining the all-important elements of ultra-light design with a luxurious exterior and interior, the Maybach DRS – De-Riki-Sha – is about the most awesome electrically powered luxury rickshaw we’ve ever seen. Okay, we haven’t really seen anything like this before, which, if you really think about it, makes the concept ride even more awesome.

As part of Mercedes’ entry to the Los Angeles Design Challenge, the Maybach DRS was designed at their Advanced Design Studio in Tokyo, keeping in mind of the requirements of building a four-seat vehicle that weighs no more than 1,000 pounds.

The Maybach DRS is another example of a concept vehicle that blends high-end luxury with the very latest in automotive technology. The car is made from a DNA cocoon that undergoes metamorphosis, effectively making it the world’s first naturally manufactured vehicle.

More details and a press release after the jump