Maybach cars

Report: Daimler Pulls the Plug on 2013 Maybach Models

When Daimler started offering $100,000 rebates on new Maybach models, the writing was on the wall that the failing ultra-luxury car company was about to be taken off of life support. About four months have past since the rebates began and it is official now, as Daimler has eliminated all plans for 2013 Maybach models.

When Daimler restarted Maybach production in the early-2000s, it never really took off, as Bentley and Rolls Royce had the ultra-luxury market pretty well tied down. Maybach continued floundering around until 2011 when Daimler finally announced that it would cease production by 2013. A promise that Daimler certainly held true on.

The worst thing is that Daimler didn’t even issue a press release on its cessation. The only send off that Maybach has received is a “Discontinued” label next to every model on its price list as an indicator of its death. The other indicator is the fact that the Maybach website is nearly inaccessible now.

So, farewell to Maybach, yet again... Maybe we’ll come across you in another half-century or so. Maybe VW is interested in snagging it up... We’re kidding, sort of.

Bargain Basement Luxury: Maybach begins giving the largest rebates in history

A little while ago we reported that Daimler – former owner of Chrysler – was about to give up on yet another one of its brands. This time it is not the middle-class Chrysler lineup, but instead it is the extremely expensive Maybach lineup. Daimler’s not even making an attempt to sell it, it’s just axing the failing company altogether.

In light of its upcoming release, Daimler is trying to rid itself of every last one of these nearly half-million-dollar machines. It is now taking drastic measures by adding in a $100,000 rebate. We’ve heard of crazy rebates upwards of $10,000 on some high-end cars, but $100K, really?

Then again, ridding itself of the remaining $376,000 Type 57 and the $427,000 Type 62 is not going to be an easy task. Maybe cutting the price by nearly one-third and one-fourth, respectively, will do the trick. Besides, reports say that Maybach loses roughly $500,000 on every model it sells, so what’s another $100K per car?

After this whole snafu, it appears that the “Maybach” name will again remain dormant in the automotive world, which it did from 1940 to 1997, for a very long time to come. So if you want an ultra-luxury car “on the cheap,” that may soon be worth tons of money as a collectable, swing on down to Maybach, if you can find a dealer, err, “studio” anywhere, and claim your cool $100K rebate.

We’re curious to see what kind of crazy restrictions there are to getting this rebate. We all know there is some kind of catch. Missing out on a $1,000 rebate due to some weird financing requirement ticks us off enough; missing out on $100K would likely send us into a small temper tantrum.

Bentley plans for the future with hybrid models and hopes to snag Maybach customers

Bentley is extensively prepping for their future with a couple of new paths to higher sales. Just recently, the company has downsized from a W12 to a V8 engine and their next course of action is to offer a plug-in hybrid model. In an interview with Car and Driver, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer reported that the hybrid system could be based on Volkswagen technology and that it could combine either a W12 engine or a V8 engine with an electric motor placed between the engine and transmission. This system will allow an electric-only range of 16 to 19 miles - a relatively good range considering we are talking about very heavy vehicles.

Another new direction Bentley is taking, and probably the stranger of the two, is their announced plans to steal customers from Maybach. This bit of news came shortly after Mercedes announced that the last Maybach unit would be produced in early 2013. Bentley hopes that this termination of production will get stars like hip-hop artist Jay-Z, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and King Juan Carlos to turn their attention from the old Maybach models to Bentley’s line-up. We would think that Rolls Royce would be a good candidate as well, but Bentley wouldn’t be a bad way to go either.

"The withdrawal of Maybach is a business opportunity for us and we’re going to use it," Bentley Chief Executive Wolfgang Duerheimer told Reuters. And they aren’t too worried about Mercedes’ decision to offer an S600 Pullman because "they wanted something more exclusive than a Mercedes in the first place, so Rolls or Bentley would seem an obvious substitution."

In this war, Bentley has the advantage of planning a large luxury SUV that will be placed over the top Cayenne and it will be "highly customizable, including a wealth of interior materials and a choice of four- or five-passenger configurations."

Mercedes officially drops the knife on Maybach

We knew that the time was coming eventually, and according to a source who spoke to Autoweek, the end has finally come to pass for Maybach.

Mercedes-Benz, the company that revived Maybach nine years ago, is finally pulling the plug on the luxury line in 2013. The decision to drop Maybach was spurned by disappointing sales figures for its two core models, the 57 and the 62. It certainly didn’t help matters when efforts in trying to jumpstart the company didn’t amount to anything, particularly when a proposed deal with Aston Martin to assist in building future models ended up falling by the wayside.

For now, the plan is for Maybach to continue selling the two models until 2013 when Mercedes’ fifth generation S-Class finally hits the market. The next-gen S-Class will likewise see an all-new S600, which you could take the reins from Maybach in competing in the ultra-luxury market currently dominated by Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

We can’t say that we didn’t see this coming, although we’re a little disappointed that Mercedes didn’t exercise a little bit more patience before they cut the cord. Then again, it wasn’t our decision to make and if Mercedes really wanted to cut their losses on the brand, they have every right to do so.

2011 Maybach Berline Carriage: "Cinderella and the Maybach Berline"

Taking a page from one of history’s most beloved fairy tales, the "Cinderella and the Maybach Berline" movie stars Cindy, a simple and down-trodden young lady who spends her days working at her father’s workshop while her stepmother and her spoiled princess of a daughter spend theirs living it up at the Billionaires Club.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

On the night of her birthday, though, Cindy’s father bought her a beautiful dress and gave her the chance to hit the town while behind the Maybach Berline Carriage prototype. Inspired by the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, the futuristic Maybach is an autonomous E-Cell - or F-Cell - vehicle that’s tele-operated via a satellite link to a Maybach Virtual Chauffeur Center. The ’no driver’ set-up of the car allows for more interior space on the vehicle, leaving plenty of room for passengers to enjoy the comforts of luxury in a moving, private setting. Among the features decked out in the futuristic Maybach, include a vis-à-vis seating layout with a “Royal Lounge” on one side and two single seats on the other. There’ also a large glass screen that displays 3D laser projection, which, in turn, is suspended from the ceiling and can display the Virtual Chauffeur or a variety of media and entertainment. The Berline Carriage also has large divided gullwing doors that carry their own oversized privacy glass and retractable stairs to make for convenient loading and unloading.

Suffice to say, this quintessential ’futuristic rom-com’ will show us the story of the the 21st century Cinderella - or Cindy - complete with a romantic twist and a young, dashing prince.

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.