Maybach Zeppelin

Because most of the headlines are filled with credit crunch and CO₂ related stories, it's easy to forget that some aren't affected by those things - or simply don't care. The Maybach Zeppelin may appeal to such a person; it's possibly the most ostentatious car ever made.

What's all the fuss about?

There's no fuss, really, but sitting grandly on a Geneva plinth like a self-appointed king is Maybach's latest foray into the hearts of multi-national conglomerate CEOs everywhere. The Zeppelin is a car for the person who is driven everywhere and is accustomed to not just the finer things in life, but the finest. Full stop. Even though it has a twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 engine, it's still quiet as a mouse.

Anything that stands out?

Its sheer size and vulgarity make it stick out like a sore thumb. While people chauffeured in stretched Mercedes S-Classes go about with discretion, the Zeppelin comprehensively redresses the money/sense balance of its occupants. Here's why: it has a special perfume atomiser that customers can fill with a scent they've created themselves, which costs £4,000. The two-tone paint job for the 20-inch alloys fades from black to silver, and it has lambskin carpets, branded crystal champagne flutes and quilted leather everywhere.

When can I buy one?

When you can stump up either the £365,000 asked for the shorter 57 version or £425,000 for the slightly longer 62 edition, you can have one now. (That's equivalent to the price of a whole Jaguar XFR, by the way, just for a bit of extra legroom.) Still, the starry interior headlining and seats more comfortable than your favourite armchair combine to make this a very special place to be. It's exclusive too, with only 100 planned. Better hurry.

Mark Nichol