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<title><![CDATA[Rolls-Royce, Maybach, Ferrari, Four years, unlimited miles]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - Think this list is all budget machines? Think again...]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:19:28 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Maybach Zeppelin]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - Maybach is one of a few makers not dancing to the environmental tune at Geneva.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:14:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Maybach launches £400,000 limo]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - Your eyes are not deceiving you - Maybach has chosen this moment to unveil a £400,000 limousine. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:54:26 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Maybach opens order books for Landaulet]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - Super rich ignore the credit crunch and place orders for mega-money drop-top Maybach.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:12:34 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Maybach 57S : MACH SCHNELL]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - After a busy day of leveraged buyouts, there's nothing like getting James to drop the hammer on 612bhp. Jonathan Crouch takes a ride in the Maybach 57 Sâ€¦Before we go on to discuss the merits of the Maybach 57 S, it's worth pausing to consider a fundamental aspect of its potential success. In order to rack up meaningful sales, there needs to be a small number of people out there who feel that their 543bhp limousine isn't quick enough. Chew on that one for a second. It's a deeply worrying thought. Who are these captains of European industry who feel thoroughly inconvenienced at having to wait 5.3 seconds to get to 60mph?Opt for the hotter 57 S version and every time the chauffeur prods the accelerator, 2,735kg of finest Swabian engineering will rocket to 60mph in 4.9 seconds. That's a saving of 0.4 seconds. Let's couch that in Bill Gates terms. Consider the fortune he's made since Microsoft was founded in 1975. If you presume that he has worked 14 hours a day on every business day of the year since then, that means he's been making money at a staggering million dollars per hour, around $300 per second. Time is money. In his case, $120. Frivolities aside, there's a lot more to the Maybach 57 S than its 604bhp twin-turbo V12 engine borrowed from the S65 AMG but it's a great place to begin. In line with the Maybach approach, the 12-cylinder biturbo engine is hand-assembled in the Mercedes-AMG engine workshops, or 'Manufaktur'. The `One man, one engine' philosophy is reflected by the signature of the technician responsible on the characteristic model plate, which is attached to the engine cover of the V12 biturbo in the Maybach 57 S. You really can pop the bonnet and see the name of the person who hand built your engine."Watching a Maybach 57 S take a corner requires you to reset your preconceived ideas about vehicle dynamics"Top speed is limited to a mere 171mph, Maybach tiptoeing past the traditional Daimler Chrysler Group `gentleman's agreement' of 155mph (or 250km/h). If you've just paid around £300,000 for the privilege of owning a Maybach 57 S, the prospect of having to slipstream a BMW 130i to effect an autobahn overtake just isn't on the cards. Even gentlemen need a little wiggle room. They also need a car that won't fling the Chateau Laffite all over the upholstery when shown a deviation from true straight ahead. That's where the real work has been done with the 57 S. Despite its astonishing specification, the normal rules of physics do apply to the Maybach. Prosaic notions of weight transfer, inertia, kinetic energy and metallurgy are all still relevant. This is a huge car and it's never going to handle like a Golf GTI but Maybach have pulled every trick in the book to attempt to disguise its leviathan bulk. To achieve these dynamic, responsive characteristics, the Maybach developers reconfigured the stabilisers at the front and rear axles. There is now a 2mm thicker torsion bar at the front and a 4mm thicker version at the rear. These provide the car with a sportier, more balanced suspension and greater support at the rear axle. The result is a reduction in body roll angle by around 15 per cent (essential when struggling with the small print of the Wall Street Journal) and therefore more lateral stability when taking bends at speed. Handling and cornering ability are obviously far better than the standard 57 model, which continues, priced at around £35,000 less. A 15mm reduction in ride height aids high speed stability and also lowers the car's effective centre of gravity should you wish to press hard through a set of corners. The Adaptive Damping System ADS II has been beefed-up to cope with spirited driving and the semi-active air suspension has also been commensurately revalved. Three suspension settings are on offer and if the driver selects the sportiest one from a switch mounted on the centre console, the springs and dampers are even more stiffly configured. However, even in normal mode the Maybach 57 S offers a high level of dynamic handling for the driving enthusiast without any loss of comfort. The modified suspension components also allow a more performance-oriented configuration of the electronic stability control package with a higher intervention threshold. It all sounds rather exciting. As with all Maybach models, every customer gets round the clock access to a Personal Liaison Manager, a Maybach employee who greases the wheels of ownership, starting with vehicle specification. Maybach estimates that there are some 2.2 million different equipment combinations available, running from bespoke luggage, to sterling silver champagne flutes, cigar humidors and virtually any interior trim material. With around 1,000 cars expected to be sold worldwide every year in two different guises, that means that - all other things being equal of course - it would take 4,400 years of production before two identical Maybachs were produced. By which time it would probably be due for a mild facelift. Exclusively available from 105 Wigmore Street, Mayfair, W1, Maybach nevertheless can offer a truly global service to prospective owners. Personal Liaison Managers can travel anywhere in the world with a mobile demonstrator suite of electronic tools and actual samples to woo well-heeled customers. Once they've signed on the dotted line, they can travel to the Centre of Excellence factory in Stuttgart to see their car being assembled or, alternatively, can enjoy a live satellite transmission of the handover beamed to anywhere in the world. The Maybach is leagues ahead of anything else in terms of rear seat sophistication. Light has been used as a design tool with various uplighters and LEDs providing comfortable ambient illumination at all times. It's vastly spacious back there, with the slinky aircraft-style seats capable of reclining into a semi recumbent position for maximum comfort. These fully adjustable, heated and cooled seats are a work of genius. The Maybach 57 S may be a great car to be driven around in, but it's also a car that will reward its driver richly. The Maybach brand is an acquired taste. Some have accused it of being a little too European, a little nouveau riche, too anxious to impress. The problem is that the Maybach 57 S is so very good at impressing. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.Facts At A Glance CAR: Maybach 57 S PRICE: £297,945 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 20 CO2 EMISSIONS: 390g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 4.9 / Max Speed 171mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 17.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Adaptive front airbags, four side and windowbags / Sensotronic ABS braking system / ESP stability control / twin front brake calipers WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 5728/1980/1557]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:28:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Maybach 62 S]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Five of the Best - Monster limo is very heavy indeed and hugely expensive too.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:00:42 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Maybach is world's costliest convertible]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - Luxury car maker Maybach is adding a convertible to its range and it will cost £680,000.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:59:22 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Maybach 62]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Five of the Best - Mercedes-Benz's mega-limo revives the Maybach brand and pampers to its owner's every whim.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:21:35 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Maybach 62S : POWERPLAY]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - Andy Enright dips a toe into the world of the monstrously wealthy. The Maybach 62 S is like nothing elseâ€¦.Last week I travelled to a press launch courtesy of a major manufacturer. Private jet to the South of France, chauffeur-driven limo to the venue and an overnight stay, in this instance at Cap Estel, one of the most beautiful villas on the Riviera. Once owned by a Russian prince, Cap Estel sits on its own promontory jutting out into the Med, palm and cypress-fringed lawns reaching an infinity pool with a marble jacuzzi built in. I wondered what sort of private income was necessary to fund a lifestyle like this. On reflection, it was the sort of private income you'd need to afford a Maybach 62S.The existing Maybach 62 you might be familiar with. Powered by a 550bhp V12 engine, it's not exactly slow off the mark. The problem is that this section of the market expects utter superlatives and when the proletariat started packing over 600bhp in their AMG Mercedes models, Maybach knew it needed to act. First came the shorter wheelbase 57S and now the 62 comes in for the pep pill, engine power going up to a serious 612bhp. Opt for this searing £341,585 62S version and every time the guy in the peaked hat prods the accelerator, 2,855kg of finest Swabian engineering will rocket to 60mph in 5.2 seconds. That's a saving of 0.4 seconds. Let's couch that in Bill Gates terms. Consider the fortune he's made since Microsoft was founded in 1975. If you presume that he has worked 14 hours a day on every business day of the year since then, that means he's been making money at a staggering million dollars per hour, around $300 per second. Who said saving was overrated? Frivolities aside, there's a lot more to the Maybach 62S than its twin-turbo V12 engine borrowed from the S65 AMG but it's a great place to begin. In line with the Maybach approach, the 12-cylinder biturbo engine is hand-assembled in the Mercedes-AMG engine workshops, or 'Manufaktur'. The `One man, one engine' philosophy is reflected by the signature of the technician responsible on the characteristic model plate, which is attached to the engine cover of the V12 biturbo in the Maybach 62S. You really can pop the bonnet and see the name of the person who hand built your engine."The Maybach 62S remains a better car to ride in than drive"Top speed is limited to a mere 171mph, Maybach tiptoeing past the traditional Daimler Chrysler Group `gentleman's agreement' of 155mph (or 250km/h), although, rather comically, the limit is enforced for chauffeur driven vehicles. If you've just paid £341,585 for the privilege of owning a Maybach 62 S, the prospect of having to slipstream a BMW 130i to effect an autobahn overtake just isn't on the cards. Even gentlemen need a little wiggle room. They also need a car that won't fling the Chateau Laffite all over the upholstery when shown a deviation from true straight ahead. That's where the real work has been done with the 62 S. Despite its astonishing specification, the normal rules of physics do apply to the Maybach. Prosaic notions of weight transfer, inertia, kinetic energy and metallurgy are all still relevant. This is a huge car and it's never going to handle like a Golf GTI but Maybach have pulled every trick in the book to attempt to disguise its leviathan bulk. To achieve these dynamic, responsive characteristics, the Maybach developers reconfigured the stabilisers at the front and rear axles. There is now a 2mm thicker torsion bar at the front and a 4mm thicker version at the rear. These provide the car with a sportier, more balanced suspension and greater support at the rear axle. The result is a reduction in body roll angle by around 15 per cent (essential when struggling with the small print of the Wall Street Journal) and therefore more lateral stability when taking bends at speed. Handling and cornering ability are obviously far better than the standard 62 model, which continues, priced at a knockdown £299,970. A 15mm reduction in ride height aids high speed stability and also lowers the car's effective centre of gravity should you wish to press hard through a set of corners. The Adaptive Damping System ADS II has been beefed-up to cope with spirited driving and the semi-active air suspension has also been commensurately revalved. Three suspension settings are on offer and if the driver selects the sportiest one from a switch mounted on the centre console, the springs and dampers are even more stiffly configured. However, even in normal mode this Maybach offers a high level of dynamic handling for the driving enthusiast without any loss of comfort. The modified suspension components also allow a more performance-oriented configuration of the electronic stability control package with a higher intervention threshold. It all sounds rather exciting. As with all Maybach models, every customer gets round the clock access to a Personal Liaison Manager, a Maybach employee who greases the wheels of ownership, starting with vehicle specification. Maybach estimates that there are some 2.2 million different equipment combinations available, running from bespoke luggage, to sterling silver champagne flutes, cigar humidors and virtually any interior trim material. With around 1,000 cars expected to be sold worldwide every year in two different guises, that means that - all other things being equal of course - it would take 4,400 years of production before two identical Maybachs were produced. By which time it would probably be due for a mild facelift. Exclusively available from 105 Wigmore Street, Mayfair, W1, Maybach nevertheless can offer a truly global service to prospective owners. Personal Liaison Managers can travel anywhere in the world with a mobile demonstrator suite of electronic tools and actual samples to woo well-heeled customers. Once they've signed on the dotted line, they can travel to the Centre of Excellence factory in Stuttgart to see their car being assembled or, alternatively, can enjoy a live satellite transmission of the handover beamed to anywhere in the world. The Maybach is leagues ahead of anything else in terms of rear seat sophistication. Light has been used as a design tool with various uplighters and LEDs providing comfortable ambient illumination at all times. It's vastly spacious back there, with the slinky aircraft-style seats capable of reclining into a semi recumbent position for maximum comfort. These fully adjustable, heated and cooled seats are a work of genius. The Maybach 62 S may be a great car to be driven around in, but it's also a car that will reward its driver richly. The modified front end features a redesigned radiator grille and imposing 20-inch wheels are also standard as is a modified light-cluster design. Like the 57 S model, the new Maybach 62 S has single-tone paintwork in black or silver. I'm not sure if this is an attempt to appear a little lower key but then what would I know? I'm only fleetingly familiar with the part of the planet occupied by Maybach owners. We may pass occasionally, me on a car maker's tab, they paying their own rider, but a gulf exists between us big enough to park a 62S in. Â FACTS AT A GLANCECAR: Maybach 62 S PRICE: £341,585 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 20 CO2 EMISSIONS: 410g/km [est] PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 5.2 / Max Speed 155mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 17.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Adaptive front airbags, four side and windowbags / Sensotronic ABS braking system / ESP stability control / twin front brake calipers WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 5728/1980/1557 WHO TO SEE:]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:14:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Maybach Range : NEVER TOO MUCH]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - The Brief Was Quite Simply To Build The Most Luxurious Car In The World. Money Was No Object. Does The Maybach Fulfil It's Lofty Remit? Andy Enright DecidesImagine you were presented with a blank sheet of paper, a blank cheque and the brief to build the finest luxury car in the world. A tough call or automotive nirvana? Just such a task confronted the cream of Daimler Chrysler's designers when called upon to develop the Maybach luxury brand. Aiming to bring bespoke luxury manufacturing into the 21st century, Maybach offers a tantalising glimpse into the world of the preposterously wealthy.Normal rules do not apply here. Fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and so forth are not relevant. Of far more importance are factors such as dealer discretion, a personal touch from the manufacturer, unparalleled luxury and refinement and, above all, the knowledge that you own the world's finest car. For many of the target customers, the asking price will be a peripheral concern, a mere opening point upon which to base the myriad of customisation options. For those of us who can't help but goggle at the rich and famous, that asking price is £260,490 for the Maybach 57, £289,990 for the extra powerful 57 S and £299,925 for the imperious long wheelbase model, the Maybach 62. The 57 and 62 cars are powered by the same twin turbocharged 5.5-litre V12 engine, good for no less than 543bhp with a torque figure of 899Nm. This monstrous power output will propel 2780kg of Maybach 62 to 60mph in 5.4 seconds. The 57 S gets a 6.0-litre version of the same engine with 612bhp and a nice round 1,000Nm torque rating. Everything about the Maybach, from the 62's 6165mm length to its 19-inch wheels is writ large. It's worth putting a few of the statistics into perspective. The torque figure on the 57 is greater than the combined torque outputs of a Mercedes S500 and a Porsche Carrera 4S. The Maybach 62 is as heavy as two Mercedes C class saloons and the difference in price between the two versions is about the same as a nicely specified Lexus GS430."At idle, the V12 engine is utterly silent."Every customer gets round the clock access to a Personal Liaison Manager, a Maybach employee who greases the wheels of ownership, starting with vehicle specification. Maybach estimates that there are some 2.2 million different equipment combinations available, running from bespoke luggage, to sterling silver champagne flutes, cigar humidors and virtually any interior trim material. With around 1,000 cars expected to be sold worldwide every year in two different guises, that would mean that - all other things being equal of course - it would take 4,400 years of production before two identical Maybachs were produced. By which time it would probably be due for a mild facelift. Exclusively available from 105 Wigmore Street, Mayfair, W1, Maybach nevertheless can offer a truly global service to prospective owners. Personal Liaison Managers can travel anywhere in the world with a mobile demonstrator suite of electronic tools and actual samples to woo well-heeled customers. Once they've signed the dotted line, they can travel to the Centre of Excellence factory in Stuttgart to see their car being assembled or alternatively can enjoy a live satellite transmission of the handover beamed to anywhere in the world. One thing the Maybach could never be accused of is lithe beauty. Perhaps one of the requirements is for sheer road presence, but the acres of chrome festooned around the car's grille are uncomfortably reminiscent of the Hyundai XG. Parked next to a Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Maybach's closest approximation of a rival, the German car looks a little more mainstream, less of an event and more an exercise in technical pragmatism. There's no doubt if you're a true captain of industry who needs to be whisked from point A to point B which you'd choose to travel in though. The Maybach, especially in long wheelbase 62 guise, is leagues ahead of anything else in terms of rear seat sophistication. Light has been used as a design tool with various uplighters and LEDs providing comfortable ambient light at all times. Maybach 62 owners can even specify a Panoramic glass roof with a sliding liner that contains an electro-luminescent membrane that provides pleasant diffuse light. It's vastly spacious back there, with the slinky aircraft-style seats capable of reclining into a semi recumbent position for maximum comfort. These fully adjustable, heated and cooled seats are a work of genius and highlight the key difference between the 57 and the 62. The former is for driving and the latter is for being driven in. Take the wheel of a Maybach and you'll be greeted with more than a few cabin features familiar to Mercedes S-class drivers. From a practical standpoint this is no bad thing as the S-class is a paragon of ergonomic efficiency, but one can't help but feel that the subterfuge could have been a little more artfully executed. At idle, the V12 engine is utterly silent. Even if you get out, walk to the front of the car and stand inches from the front grille, there's no audible signal. Press your ear to the bonnet and you'll hear a muted hum. Unless that is, your passenger selects this moment to test the Maybach's horn which, you'll be sure to agree, is quite an article. On the move the Maybach is again almost eerily silent. You appreciate the finer tonal qualities of the 600-watt surround sound audio system, the only mechanical noise being the occasional distant thud of surface irregularities as the air sprung suspension tries its best to cushion the ride. It goes without saying that the Maybach is supplied replete with a vast welter of safety features, although Daimler Chrysler is certain that a good proportion of owners will go a step further and opt for the `guard version' - a factory authorised armouring process. The Maybach name is not a recent invention, having been dormant for some 60 years. Having revived it, Daimler Chrysler must be extremely proud of what now represents a new benchmark for ultra-luxury cars. The Maybach 57 and 62 models are towering technical achievements but neither possesses a spark of personality. A blank sheet of paper and a blank cheque can't manufacture character. That may come with time.Facts At A Glance CAR: Maybach Range PRICES: £260,490 - £299,925 INSURANCE GROUP: 20 CO2 EMISSIONS: [62] 383g/km PERFORMANCE: [62] 0-60mph 5.4s / Max Speed 155mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [62] (combined) 17.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Adaptive front airbags, four side and windowbags / Sensotronic ABS braking system / ESP stability control / twin front brake calipers WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm [62] 6165/1980/1570]]></description>
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