The story of Maybach’s rebirth began at the tail end of the 1990s when BMW and Volkswagen, acquired the prestigious brands, Rolls-Royce and Bentley, respectively. In response to the controversial takeover, Mercedes-Benz looked back into its historical archives and decided to resurrect the Maybach moniker, having remained dormant for almost 40 years.
Two luxury limousines called the Maybach 57 and 62, numbers representing the length of the car's wheelbase, made their debut under the new label in 2002. Although bearing an S-class silhouette, the limousines were technically advanced and lavishly appointed. What’s more, the design of the luxury limousine carried the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship. Indeed, the Maybach duo represented the pinnacle of what Mercedes-Benz could achieve in terms of comfort and technology.
The 57 and 62 models were then joined by the Maybach 57S and 62S, which had tuned versions of the M285 engine under the hood. Furthermore, Mercedes also introduced the top-of-the-range Maybach Landaulet model, which was an extravagant semi-convertible version of the 62S and included many optional extras as standard. The gigantic limousines also came with an eye-watering price tag, starting at $366,934 for the 57 and $431,055 for the 62 models. While the range-topping Landaulet started at a cool $1,350,000!
Maybach is an exclusive brand that is usually associated with wealth and prosperity, reserved for the super-rich, celebrities, and those who know how to trade in Bitcoin. However, When Daimler-Benz wanted to crown its luxury car division with the Maybach brand in 2000 with the two new limousines, things didn’t quite go according to plan. Indeed, Maybach became regarded as one of the most expensive automotive blunders of the 21st Century.
The Maybach 57 Featured An Ultra-Luxurious Cabin
The exquisite craftsmanship continues into the opulent interior of the Maybach with extravagant details. The glossy wood veneer, ultra-soft deep pile carpets, and sumptuous leather showcase the cabin. For rear occupants, there's also an option of dual 9.5-inch rear seat entertainment displays. The 62 included optional extras such as the 18-way power rear seats, power slide sunshades, cooled rear seats, wireless headphones, electrochromic panoramic sunroof, and steering wheel-mounted navigation controls, to name a few.
In addition to a host of airbags, the Maybach 57 comes with modern driver-assist technology such as automated emergency braking, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control. The Maybach 57 is like a private jet for the road. Indeed, its huge dimensions and grandeur, provide an authoritative, if understated, presence. Measuring almost 5728 mm in length, the 57 is longer than a Rolls-Royce Ghost and a Bentley Mulsanne.
The Maybach Had A Sensational V12 Twin Turbo Engine
Under the hood of the Maybach 57 is a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12 masterpiece, that’s the M285 engine which was specifically used for Maybach cars. Moreover, the 57S and 62S models got AMG-tuned 6-liter V12 units. Weighing more than 3 tons (6030 lbs), the Maybach was certainly a heavyweight Merc. It did, however, possess an abundance of power under its hood, 542 horses to be exact, channeling power to the rear wheels and producing an impressive 664 lb-ft of torque. Moreover, the 0 to 60 mph sprints could be easily reached in a blisteringly quick time of 5.1 seconds.
Paired with a five-speed auto, the silky smooth V12 could rapidly reach the limited top speed of 155 mph. Even the long-wheelbase Maybach 62 sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in a remarkable 5.4 seconds. The 57S and 62S, however, acquired sixty more horses and cut the sprint time to 60 mph by around 0.5 seconds.
The Maybach provided a silky-smooth ride with effortless power, great for swallowing huge distances on the Autobahn in tremendous comfort. Furthermore, the V12 is barely audible from inside the cabin at normal speeds. Accelerate harder, and you unleash the monstrous performance of the twin-turbocharged Maybach, with instant power arriving low down in the rev range.
But Why Did The Maybach 57 And 62 Fail?
It seems that Maybach’s production years were fraught with uncertainty. Indeed, sales began to decline rapidly with approximately 160 units sold in its first year, a stark difference from the 2000 units the company had originally forecasted. Problems began to deepen as the credit crunch that followed in 2008, became the final nail in Maybach’s coffin. The sales of the cars eventually collapsed, falling from 119 units sold in 2008 to just 66 units in 2009. Reports suggest, Mercedes-Benz made a whopping $330,000 loss on every Maybach 57 and 62 produced. After selling only 3000 cars and accumulating a total loss of around 990 million Euros, the Maybach range was finally dropped from production in 2013.
What went wrong? Well, a culmination of several factors. Firstly, status-obsessed customers were unfamiliar with the Maybach marque, which was unknown outside of Germany. It didn’t have the heritage and royalty of a Rolls-Royce or Bentley. The Maybach’s styling was a scaled-up version of the contemporary S Class. It also shared the same production line as the S Class which further removed the exclusivity that a car in this class demanded.
Furthermore, the economic recession made the idea of buying a $366,000 car that carried monumental depreciation, deeply unattractive. And finally, the Maybach lacked the driver appeal of a Roller and Bentley. The weight and dimensions of the car meant too much body roll compared to its rivals and maneuvering around town was also somewhat difficult.
According to classic.com, the average used price of a Maybach 57 is around the $74,000 mark. Expect to pay double that for the Maybach 62 Long Wheelbase Version. The Maybach marque, curiously, was once again resurrected in 2015 as a sub-brand and still features the Mercedes S Class and GLS models today.
Source: Mercedes-Benz, Classic Cars