Battle of the super Germans: Can the mighty Maybach rise again?

If there is one thing a car-maker hates more than anything, it’s being outdone by a close rival and in the year 2000, Mercedes-Benz was flagging in the wake of Volkswagen and BMW-owned ultra-luxury products.

Volkswagen had recently acquired the British super sedan brand Bentley, while BMW had it’s own token Brit in the form of Rolls-Royce. If it were to maintain its reputation as the luxury vehicle authority, Mercedes had to do something.

That something came in 2002 when Mercedes resurrected a brand not seen since the second world war but the Maybach range charged into a new war - the battle for luxury supremacy.

Alas it was a battle Mercedes couldn’t win and in 2012 the Maybach name was sent back to the archives after selling a total of just 3000 cars - about the same number Rolls-Royce moved in a year.

So why does Mercedes think things will be different when it once again dusts off the Maybach double-M badge and re-launches a range of ultra-opulent limousines this year?

The Mercedes-Maybach range reignites the historic nameplate, bringing a new upper level of luxury and comfort to the German-car-maker’s ranks.

Maybe it’s because this time round the vehicles won’t be stand-alone Maybach models and will instead fit into the existing S-Class range as a maximum luxury option alongside the AMG-powered variants at the top of the heap.

Like the very first Maybach models in the 1920s, the reincarnated versions will be based on the S-Class Mercedes but with a few notable differences. A Maybach isn’t just deep carpets and extra leather.

It’s name will be part Mercedes and part Maybach dubbed the Mercedes-Maybach with S600 and S500 variants on their way to Australia in 2015, but more Maybach branded models are to follow says the German luxury car-maker.

Prices are expected to start from about $100,000 more than the current top of the range S-Class - the S65L AMG, but while $600,000 may sound like a lot for a luxury S-Class, that price looks like a bargain compared with the previous million-dollar Maybach.

With a prettier more Mercedes-like nose than previous Maybach styling, the newest luxury model should attract more admiring glances.

For their cash, Maybach owners get a blank canvas measuring more than 207mm longer than the longest S-Class with rear kneeroom growing from 166mm to 325mm, while a taller roof means headroom climbs from 951mm to 963mm. Then they can tuck into the options list.

The S-Class Maybach comes with a choice of two powerplants - a 4.7-litre 335kW bi-turbo V8 S500 and 6.0-litre 390kW V12 S600, with the bigger engine expected to attract the most attention in Australia.

The front seats aren’t exactly a bad place to be - especially the drivers seat with a 6.0-litre V12 under your right foot.

Mercedes says the new Maybach is the quietest model for rear seat passengers in the world, managing an even more hushed cabin than the previous champion, its own new S-Class Coupe.

Those passengers sit in a pair of highly adjustable “executive seats” including the backrest which can recline to 43 degrees.

Because a laid-back passenger is in danger of “submarining” under the seatbelt in a crash, Mercedes engineers have come up with a world-first seat airbag that inflates the front edge of the seat squab, effectively lifting the passenger’s legs to hold them in position in a crash.

Rear seat belts also inflate in a crash for better chest protection, and the side airbags move with the seat back to provide full protection to the occupant’s chest and head, no matter how they are sitting or lying.

Mercedes clipped the rear doors by 66mm, shifting the triangular quarter window from the door to the C-pillar, meaning rear-seat passengers effectively sit behind the door.

A number of special extra-cost packages are available for the rear-seat configuration, adding items such as massage function “based on the hot-stone principle”, and a “first-class rear suite” package that includes a centre console with cup cooler/heaters and aircraft-style fold-out tables.

Of course, the Mercedes-Maybach is cloaked in hand-stitched, monogrammed Nappa leather, even on the doors.

If the customer prefers polished wood, the Exclusive trim package envelops the rear cabin area in hand-crafted timber, even including the air nozzles.

The Maybach is all about the rear passengers. Measuring a substantial 207mm longer than the longest S-Class, rear seat room is bountiful and opulently luxurious.

The Maybach’s adjustable suspension allows a high ride height for easy entry and exit but squats down 20mm at high speed to aid handling and aerodynamics.

On the outside, the Mercedes-Maybach gets a number of special details to set it apart from its smaller S-Class siblings, including chrome touches such as radiator grille louvres.

The last Maybachs sold in Australia were the 57 and 62 models, the latter commanding a cool million-dollar price-tag but despite opulent luxury and zero to 100km/h acceleration as fast as 4.5 seconds, the Australian public never warmed to the cars with just 13 finding homes in eight years.

Its awkward looks probably didn’t help with only subtle suggestions of the prettier S-Class showing through the rather add-on Maybach bits. Up against the jaw-dropping Rolls-Royce Phantom and elegant Bentley Flying Spur that came soon after, the Maybach didn’t stand a chance.

It might be first-class accommodation on wheels but with a choice of 335kW or 390kW engines, the Maybach is express transport too.

With a $600,000 starting price, the new S600 Maybach is no dime a dozen limo but it is still significantly cheaper than the $853,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom and its arch rival the Bentley Mulsanne at $700,000 with which it bumps gloves.

So will the second resurrection of the Maybach name bring success to Mercedes or will a posh S-Class get beaten out of the ring again when it goes toe-to-toe with the long established English heritage brands?

Daniel Gardner GoAuto.com.au

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