The 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance was packed with numerous new products from various automakers, mostly in concept form. Among them is Mercedes-Benz, which showcased a brand-new concept car wearing the "Maybach" badge. It goes by the name Vision 6 and it's the wildest vehicle to feature the Maybach name in the modern era. Not only spectacular on the outside, the German coupe sports the latest technology Mercedes-Benz has to brag about. It's also pretty massive for a two-door coupe. And by "massive" we mean it's nearly six meters (18.5 feet) long, or about as long as the extended wheelbase version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. For reference, the Mercedes-Maybach S500/S600 is "only" 5.5 meters (18 feet).

In many ways, including size, the Vision 6 is a spiritual successor to the Maybach Exelero one-off that the German brand built for Fulda tires back in 2004. As you'd expect from a Mercedes-badged concept car, the Vision 6 features a massive amount of new technology to go with the wild design, as well as a fuel-efficient drivetrain built around at least one electric motor. Don't get your hopes up for a production version, but a two-door Maybach based on the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe isn't out of the question.

Updated 08/22/2016: We added a series of images taken during the concept's official debut at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Check them out in the picture gallery.

Continue reading to learn more about the Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6.

2016 Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6

Specifications
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  • Model: 2016 Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6
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Pros
Cons

Exterior

The fact that the vehicle is nearly six meters long (18.5 feet) long is evident from the profile view, which shows an arched engine hood that’s nearly as long as the roof. The latter has a fastback-like rear section which seems to give the vehicle a classic "boat-tail" style appearance, especially due to the way the rear fenders are arched toward the bumper and the almost V-shaped rear fascia. While the red-painted wheels and the front fender grille are massive, the roof sits very low and gives the coupe a sleek stance. There are thin cameras instead of the traditional side mirrors.

Moving over to the car’s front end, the Mercedes badge on the hood and the "Maybach" script on the grille are the only features this concept has in common with modern Benz products. The grille, for instance, is a massive waterfall-style element in polished chrome. Granted, we’ve seen a similar style on previous Maybach sedans, but it also appears to be some sort of tribute to vehicles the company built in the 1930s. Mercedes says the grille was inspired by a pinstriped suit. The chrome strips that run on each side of the hood are also reminiscent of the pre-World War II era, but the links to vintage Maybach models stop here. The headlamps, on the other hand, are extremely thin strips of LEDs, a feature we have yet to see on any other Mercedes-Benz. Down below, there's a big chrome piece for a splitter, two big intakes just below the grille, and two additional, smaller outlets toward the sides of the bumper.

Around back, the styling is equally simple and equally styling. The LED treatment has been applied here too, with thin taillights stretching across the entire fascia. The red light bar is mirrored by a chrome strip in the bumper, which also has small intakes similar to those seen up front. The two chrome strips that begin on the front hood run across the coupe's beltline and nearly into the taillights, emphasizing the car's neo-retro styling. A center fin descends from the roof toward the rear Mercedes emblem, splitting the rear window in two for yet another feature inspired by the 1930s and its glorious Art Deco era. The concept is rounded off by a pair of massive, gullwing doors, another first for a Maybach, and a set of massive, 24-inch wheels. These are a development of the aero rim from the Concept IAA (Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile) and feature a body-colored, transparent shield that provides a view of the aluminum spokes behind it.

Needless to say, as far as exterior details go, the Vision 6 is as conceptual as they get.

Interior

Not surprisingly, especially given recent Mercedes-Benz concepts, the Vision 6 sports a futuristic cockpit. The cabin emphasizes on the comfort that comes with the Maybach badge and pairs it with state-of-the-art technology that, at some point, will make it into production models.

The massive driver and passenger seats seems comfortable, while legroom is more than generous. The whole cabin is an array of displays and touchscreens, including the door panels, the windshield, and the dashboard. The dash itself has a very intriguing design. There’s a wrap-around background display that runs into the door panels and gives all sorts of information.

The more traditional dashboard unit is thinner than usual and houses two digital gauges behind the steering wheel. These are combined with deep displays and act as a reference to the unique history of Mercedes-Benz. Its center section is illuminated in blue, just like the background screen and instrument cluster, and also runs into the door panels, blending in with the upper screen layer at some point.

The windshield also acts as a massive display, giving the driver vital information about the car’s performance, as well as a detailed navigation map. This information can be controlled and adjusted by the occupants using gestures.

Much like the seats, the floor is rather simple, while the center tunnel and the steering column are transparent. The floating, transparent center tunnel showcases the drive system’s electrical energy flow. Not surprisingly, the concept features autonomous drive.

Moving over to materials, the cabin is wrapped in high-quality with a Chesterfield look for the seating surfaces and Rose Gold for accents. The door panels and dashboard feature authentic wood trim, while the floor area is finished in elm, the palest open-pore wood which Mercedes-Benz is currently working on for use in production models. In the front luggage area of the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 is a set of two suitcases, exclusively created for the vehicle. Fancy!

Drivetrain

We wouldn’t blame you for thinking "boy, that sleek, long body deserves a massive V-12 with enough horsepower to put the Ferrari F12berlinetta to shame," but the Mercedes-Maybach 6 is being kept away from gasoline power. The drivetrain is all electric, using four motors, a flat battery in the floor, and all-wheel-drive.

Output is rated at a whooping 550 kW (737 horsepower / 750 PS), which is enough to push the concept car from 0 to 60 mph in "less than four seconds." Top speed is electronically limited at 155 mph, which puts it on par with other high-performance Mercedes-Benz models. Not just incredibly powerful, the concept also boasts a range comparable to the Tesla Model S. The massive coupe is able to cover "over 200 miles" miles on a single charge, a figure that has already been confirmed by the EPA, according to the manufacturer. On the European NEDC cycle, it's rated at more than 500 km.

The concept car also features a quick-charge function that Mercedes-Benz describes as visionary. Specifically, as a result of DC charging based on the CCS standard, the system allows an impressive charging capacity of up to 350 kW. In just five minutes, enough power can be charged to achieve an additional range of around 62 miles. The battery can either be charged via a cable connection at a public charging station or a conventional domestic outlet. Also, it can be charged wirelessly via an electromagnetic field. Hopefully this drivetrain will make it into a production car pretty soon.

Conclusion

Needless to say, the Maybach Vision 6 is spectacular concept car in just about any department. A tribute to the massive coupes of the pre-WWII era, the Vision 6 also showcases a lot of state-of-the-art technology, as well as previews some of the gadgets that will go into future Mercedes-Benz production cars. Speaking of production, the Vision 6 will most likely remain a concept, but something similar could hit the streets in a few years.

Updated History

Updated 08/17/2016: With just one day before its official debut at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Eleganc, Mercedes dropped a new teaser video for its upcoming Vision 6 concept car. While the video reveals pretty much nothing on the car, it shows one thing: the concept comes with gullwing doors. Also, a first series of photos leaked online giving us the very first look on the concept.