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The Maybach - For Those Who Have Everything

March 6, 2002

Are you tired of your beat up Honda Civic? And are you looking for a new car with a little more pizzazz? If you think a Rolls Royce is just too common, the Maybach could be your car of the future.

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Maybach - a legendary name returns after 60 yearsImage: AP

When looking at the new models that are being unveiled at the Geneva Car Show from March 7 to 17th, you're liable to think that there never was a recession. Luxury cars are taking the spotlight at the annual automobile fair.

Schweizer Automobilsalon Phaeton
German car manufacturer Volkswagen's new luxury car PhaetonImage: AP

BMW is presenting a more luxurious version of its flagship 7 series and Volkswagen shows off its high-end "Phaeton." But one of the new cars that is due to cause the most "ooh's" and "ahs" in Geneva is the newest top-end car by Mercedes Benz - the Maybach.

Reviving the Maybach legend

With the name Maybach, Mercedes Benz pays tribute to the automobile designer Wilhelm Maybach (1846-1929) and his son Karl.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Maybach cars were among the most luxurious vehicles on the German market. Only some 1,800 of these exclusive cars were built in a 20 year period.

Maybachs were popular with the celebrities of the time: Marlene Dietrich owned one, as did Enrico Caruso and the boxing legend Max Schmeling.

The first new Maybach in 60 years

On Tuesday, Mercedes Benz granted journalists a first glimpse of the new Maybach. But the German car-makers succeeded in creating a veritable aura for their newest product: no one got to see the Maybach up close - let alone touch it or take it for a spin.

At Tuesday's press presentation, the Maybach was only barely visible behind a dark glass screen. The world will still have to wait a little longer to get its hands on the first Maybach in more than half a century.

High-tech and luxury on wheels

But even though no ordinary mortal has seen the new Maybach yet, a few facts about this ultimate luxury car have already emerged.

The Maybach will have 550 horsepower and is almost six meters long (19 feet). Under the hood, it sports a V12 engine which boasts a cubic capacity of just under six liters.

Specially trained engineers and craftsmen will largely produce each Maybach by hand. Mercedes expects up to 1,500 Maybach cars will be made per year.

The Maybach costs more than € 300,000 ($ 261,000). But for that kind of money, the highly exclusive clientele will get what's been described as "a living room on wheels".

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Cruising in style

The interior of the Maybach is decorated with polished wood and smoked glass. The buyers can decide themselves on the materials and on the arrangement of the interior fittings. Every Mercedes-Benz Maybach will be unique, owing to the individual taste and personal preference of the owner.

Needless to say, the passenger seats are made of leather that's soft to the touch. The seats in the rear are reclinable and can be independently adjusted to a range of different positions. According to the people at Mercedes, this will "allow the comfortable ambiance to be enjoyed in the utmost relaxation." Nights at the drive-in will never be the same...

The Maybach comes equipped with its own telephone and computing system. Passengers can simultaneously make phone calls, send e-mails and faxes from inside the moving car at any time.

Passengers can watch videos, DVD's or television on a screen that automatically disappears into the roof of the car when not in use. Of course, they can also listen to music or the radio on the integrated top-of-the-line sound system. That way, even hearing about the latest rush-hour traffic jams could turn into a pleasure experience.

Not a money-maker

Daimler-Chrysler
Mercedes headquarters in Stuttgart, GermanyImage: AP

So who will be able to afford such a car? Not many, that's for sure. But the market for super-luxurious vehicles is growing, say the experts. For some of the super-rich, a car just can't be exclusive enough. They're willing to spend a fortune on a Rolls, a Bentley - or a Maybach.

And for the people at Mercedes Benz, making the Maybach is more a question of prestige than an economic necessity.