Maybach 57 News

The Rolls-Royce of Mercedes-Benz cars -- the ill-fated Maybach brand that was killed off after weak sales -- will be revived with the luxury marque’s latest limousine.Mercedes-Benz plans to resurrect the badge on a top-line version of the S-Class long wheelbase sedan, a senior executive has confirmed at this week’s Geneva motor show.“It will be called S-Class Maybach,” said Dr Hermann Joseph Storp, the Mercedes-Benz chief engineer for the S-Class.“Everybody knows what S-Class means and what the Maybach badge means; in this case it means a little bit better equipment, silver cups for champagne, etc.”When asked if the car will still have the three-pointed star, or the Maybach symbol, Dr Hermann Joseph Storp said the Mercedes-Benz will take pride of place on the vehicle but “there will some signs that it is a Maybach”.The most expensive S-Class on sale today costs in excess of $600,000; the Maybach version is expected to eclipse this figure when it eventually goes on sale in Australia some time in the next two years.Mercedes-Benz built the last Maybach on December 17, 2012, 10 years after re-introducing the brand in 2002.A little more than 3000 Maybachs were sold over the 10-year period, including just 13 in Australia (five in 2004, three in 2005, one in 2006, none in 2007, three in 2008 and one in 2009, according to VFACTS figures). By comparison, Rolls-Royce sold 3630 cars globally in the year 2013 alone, its fourth record year in a row.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

For the first time wealthy owners of the updated German limousine can request a high-quality perfume flask for their cars. At the touch of a button the flask sprays a fragrance of the owner's choice around the cabin.The perfume dispenser is one of several lavish new touches. Buyers can also specify hand-braided piping on the seats with insets of Swarovski crystals, wireless internet access and a 19-inch high-resolution colour television for rear passengers. Egocentric owners can even have their name embossed into the rear glass privacy screen.Despite only a handful being sold here, Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman, Peter Fadeyev, says both the short-wheelbase 57 and longer wheelbase 62 and S versions are still available."We have a dedicated Maybach department to deal with customers who want the car," he says. Because of the unlimited range of paint, upholstery and trim options, customers are guided through the fitout process on a one-to-one basis.Globally the super luxury flagship of the Daimler range has never enjoyed the same success off the Rolls-Royce Phantom. The Phantom has outsold the German car around the world by a significant margin. Even the "baby" Ghost, at $695,000, already has more than 30 committed Australian buyers.In an effort to move the Maybach further away from the premium long-wheelbase S-Class sedan, Mercedes has finessed it with new wheels, paint schemes and other cosmetic touches. The grille is bigger and now cuts into the bumper to give the car more presence while LED daytime running lights have been added under the bumper.Power is up 13kW to 463kW/1000Nm for the V12 in the 57 S and 62 S, but the standard 57 and 62 make do with the twin-turbocharged 410kW/900Nm 5.5-litre twin-turbo Mercedes-Benz V12. However, the Euro 5 compliant 12-cylinder engine has been tweaked for slightly better economy and lower emissions.Fadeyev says few customers cross-shop against a top-end 6.0-litre S-Class 65 AMG, which costs $482,900. "They really are two completely different cars with different customers," he says. "And the Maybach is double the price."According to VFACTS sales figures, since it was launched locally in March 2004, just 10 Maybachs have been sold. If the perfume bottle does not get them over the line Maybach buyers also get the security of a four-year/unlimited warranty that includes all scheduled services.

Struggling global sales and a dealer cull in the US will not kill off the mega-money Maybach.The super-luxury flagship of the Daimler brand has never delivered on its promises.Only 401 cars were sold last year, compared with 1010 for its Rolls-Royce Phantom rival, but the Maybach will continue.The man who heads Maybach in the US, former DaimlerChrysler Australia chief Ernst Lieb, says the luxury car market has shifted and Maybach needs to downsize.Lieb, now CEO of Mercedes-Benz of North America, believes Daimler should continue with Maybach, even though American sales dropped to 156 cars last year and the dealer network was slashed.“Yes, it is worth it. There will be a facelift on the car, so it will still be with us,” Lieb says.“Obviously, the market has changed a bit compared with how it used to be when we started with Maybach. It just isn't there now.“The volume we assumed was going to happen in that price range didn't. It never came through.“In the meantime, we have had completely different competitors.”Lieb admits recognition of Maybach is low, particularly compared with Rolls-Royce and the Mercedes-Benz flagship S-Class.“The Rolls-Royce is a different story. It is positioned between an S-Class and a Maybach. The Maybach, when you drive it, is different. It cannot be compared. If I drive an S550 or an S600, it's a completely different car.”There has been little movement on the Maybach model range since the first car.Lieb says his US dealer network was cut from 72 to 42 in response to the tough times.“I think 42 dealers in a country like the US is probably the right size,” he says. “We have pockets where it sells very well — New York, Beverly Hills, Miami.“With 156 units last year, naturally you want to sell more. But on the retail side of things it's an integrated brand that uses the same facilities and services. It's not a huge cost factor there.“We have the production facility. We can increase it, lower it.”Despite the struggle, Lieb says there is no plan to introduce an external supplier for Maybach or rebadge it as a Mercedes-Benz.“There was lengthy discussion at the time whether it should be like that, but the decision was to go with the Maybach,” he says.“I don't know of any change there. It's established in the network now. I feel confident we are going to do the numbers the way we planned them.” 

This 92-year-old NSW No.6 plate is expected to fetch between $1 million and $1.5 at this year's Shannon's auction on the last day of the Australian International Motor Show.