You can leave it to Kanye West and Jay-Z to have excellent taste in cars. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Otis music video. The 2011 song was a hit, as the duo won the Best Rap Performance Grammy.
Sure, the song is addicting and the visuals in this music video are insane. But the sleek and pristine Maybach 57 is the highlight of this acclaimed music video. Kanye and Jay-Z drive it around California, and it looks like an unstoppable car. This car had commendable features and had a long history after it appeared in the Otis video.
We're explaining why this car was such a triumph and tracing its journey, starting with how it was modified for the video and ending with how it was auctioned off.
The Song's Success
Otis is the second song on Watch the Throne, an album that premiered on July 20, 2011. The hip-hop song, roughly three minutes long, was number 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also hit second place on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs. The music video was released on August 11, 2011. The music video was also no stranger to success, as it claimed the Video of the Year award at the 12th annual BET Awards in California.
How the Maybach 57 Played a Role in Otis
In the video, Kanye and Jay-Z are seen driving a 2004 Maybach 57. Jayson Dumenigo, the stunt coordinator who had previously worked on the set of Furious 7 and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, said that "Kanye and Jay-Z were great to work with and the models were very happy to be a part of things."
According to a Highsnobiety article, Shelly Ward Industries was assigned the job of selecting a car that would complement Kanye West and Jay-Z. They ended up choosing the Maybach 57. They only had two days to buy and revamp the car.
Before filming the video, the team extensively altered the car. This work was done at Shelly Ward Industries in North Hollywood. Alterations included unfastening the doors and adding silver adhesives around the tires. The extreme stunts were performed at Downey Studios. Safety concerns were expressed before filming, and the crew took several actions. Kimberlee Augustine said that "We were planning on doing a 360 with the car as well as sliding it. Finding a way to keep everyone in and safe was the on-going challenge. We also had a fire element that was being used in an 'after-burner' turbo effect." Swedish professional race car driver Samuel Hubinette was instructed to complete the 360 stunt.
The limited amount of time to film caused a difficult scenario. Augustine said that "The extreme shortage of time in which to complete the fabrication was the greatest challenge. Another challenge was the work stoppage during the 'design meetings.' We had a fabrication crew of eight standing idle during the meetings, only to be rushed back to full speed implementing changes resulting from the design meeting."
While the Maybach solidified its status as a luxurious car, the car in Otis appears more sporty and laid-back.
The Maybach 57's Features
Let's rewind to when this classic car wasn't revamped. The elegant four-door sedan had a simple, yet polished exterior. For this manufacturer, less was truly more.
The car, whose starting price was $300,000, additionally had 12 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway. The car was equipped with a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12 engine. In terms of engine performance, the Maybach 57 could accelerate from 0 to 60 miles in 5.1 seconds.
The interior of this prized car was simply unparalleled. Music lovers adored the 21-speaker sound system, and the front and rear seats could give passengers massages.
Its Fate
GQ reported that the Maybach was sold at a Phillips de Pury & Company auction on March 8, 2012. Chairman Simon Pury said that "Jay-Z and Kanye West are towering figures in contemporary culture. They have greatly contributed to the artificial barriers between art, music, fashion, and cinema to come down. Their video for 'Otis' became an instant classic. The Maybach they have transformed for it has the starring role."
This particular auction was especially amusing because the Maybach was not for sale under the car category. Instead, it was marketed as a piece of contemporary art. It surprisingly only sold for $60,000.
The surprising sale was a precursor to the Maybach 57's doomed fate and reputation. Issues plagued Maybach, as low sales and the 2008 economic crisis lead to Maybach's demise in 2013. Maybach was further unable to compete with Rolls-Royce's soaring popularity. At the present moment, Maybach is only a trim level that is offered in a limited amount of Mercedes-Benz cars. However, promising news about a 2022 model proves that fans should get excited.
Overall, just like past cars used in videos, the Maybach 57 was an unforgettable element of the Otis music video. The car may have been discontinued, but that doesn't make the Maybach 57's classy exterior and exquisite interior any less impressive.