Fly on the road in a Maybach

Eye-popping numbers indicating power, with an earth rotation stopping torque to boost, and technology rivaling an inter-galactic spaceship coupled with bodywork that ranges from beautiful to brutal but anyway will be recognised and will attract a reverence mostly reserved for M1A1 Abrams is what makes a super-luxury car.

Eye-popping numbers indicating power, with an earth rotation stopping torque to boost, and technology rivaling an inter-galactic spaceship coupled with bodywork that ranges from beautiful to brutal but anyway will be recognised and will attract a reverence mostly reserved for M1A1 Abrams is what makes a super-luxury car.

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Take the Maybach for instance. Mercedes unveiled the super-limousine at the Auto Expo and the company is confident of attracting a few customers for the machine. Not surprising because the Bentley Arnage has already sold a handful while the Continental GT has more than 15 bookings already.

It was sheer wisdom on Mercedes’ part when it realised that its bread and butter brand was becoming too commonplace, what with most taxis in Singapore adorned with the three-pointed star. It was greater wisdom that it realised that by simply changing the skin of its last generation S-Class (yeah the one that looked as exciting as Linda Hamilton in T2, all business like), stretching it and by plonking a super-tweaked engine under the bonnet it could charge three times more than the highest S-Class.

The Maybach is more like an aircraft on land and not merely because of the reclining seats at the rear and the length of the car, but also because the technical sophistication and sheer luxury will rival a private jet more than it would a car.

But in terms of sheer opulence for the owner, who has forked out Rs 3.5 crore, the Maybach will not disappoint. Count this; the Maybach 57 (the one that was unveiled in India) is 5,728mm long, 1,980mm wide and 1,572 mm tall. Realistically speaking, this is nearly two meter wide and my wife cannot peek over it. The Maybach 62 is even longer at 6,170mm, only two feet shorter than two Maruti 800s aligned bumper-to-bumper. It comes with a V-12 engine putting out 550bhp. Technology is its forte and the Maybach comes armed to the teeth with electronically controlled Airmatic DC (Dual Control) air suspension and the electro-hydraulic Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) along with the usual repertoire of airbags in every nook and corner. Encompassing its occupant in opulence, the Maybach seizes the opportunity with aircraft-style full reclining individual rear seats with automatically extending leg and foot supports, all at the touch of a button. For infotainment of the passengers, the rear compartment is also equipped with a TV tuner, DVD player, CD changer, telephone and a universal Dolby surround sound system. The powerful telecommunications system comprises a mobile phone as well as a permanently installed car phone, much like an office on the move. A refrigerated compartment in the rear, two-tone exterior paintwork and the tilting / sliding sunroof can also be ordered at no extra charge. Should your car ever break down, the Maybach comes with the assistance of a Personal Liaison Manager (PLM) who is the individual at the company responsible for looking after your car. In many countries, transportation of the Maybach free of charge from where it is kept to the nearest service centre is also included in the service package offered for the prestige car brand.

With such levels of sophistication and luxury available in the Maybach, now it’s just a question of finding those handful of customers.