Mercedes-Benz has had a huge role to play in the innovation and development of the automotive industry. They have been around for more than century and are the number-one brand for luxury, technology, and safety. There are more luxurious brands but they are much more expensive, exclusive, and not as innovative as Mercedes-Benz. But Mercedes decided to go after the exclusive luxury segment with another sub-brand.
Maybach was an ultra-luxury brand under Daimler-Benz. This brand was made to cater to ultra-wealthy individuals who wanted a more luxurious and exclusive vehicle with the build quality of a Mercedes-Benz. The Maybach brand had a huge impact on some of its owners and was popular among Rappers and entertainers today. This even led to the creation of a Record Label named the Maybach Music Group owned by Rapper, Rick Ross. But Maybach just didn’t have the leading technology like its Mercedes counterparts to keep it going.
Maybach Was Founded In 1909 And Mercedes In 1926
Most people associate Maybach with the Mercedes brand but it was initially an independent company. It was founded by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach after Wilhelm left the Daimler Motors Corporation in 1909. They made diesel airplane engines before making their first car in 1919 known as the Maybach W1. They made 12 models before the Second World War and after that, they were acquired by Mercedes in 1960.
Mercedes-Benz on the other hand was originally founded in 1926 as Daimler-Benz by Gottlieb Daimler who owned Daimler Motors Corporation and Karl Benz. Mercedes has since been known as a pioneer of automotive technology. They are one of the best-known and longest-standing luxury automotive brands in history. Currently, they are still going strong with the Performance AMG and Maybach Luxury divisions.
What’s The Difference Between Mercedes And Maybach
Mercedes-Benz is the main brand with a host of vehicles in its lineup. They range from the affordable A-class to the Luxurious S-class, small crossovers, and large, luxurious family SUVs. The goal is to be able to provide cars for those who still want the more accessible Mercedes brand and still cater to wealthy individuals.
Maybach focuses on making bespoke ultra-luxury cars for the rich, based on Mercedes vehicles. They are sold in limited numbers and offer a host of customizations beyond what regular Mercedes cars offer. The attention to detail is second to none, be it the quality of materials used or the exquisite craftsmanship that the Maybach brand has become synonymous with.
The models were the Maybach 57, 62, and one-off Exelero which were all sold in limited numbers with hefty price tags. The video above documents the meticulous process of how a Maybach is put together. It really is a step above Mercedes.
Specifications
Model | S-class | Maybach S-class |
Engine options | I-6 and V-8 | V-8 and V-12 |
Fuel type | Gasl/Diesel/Hybrid | Gas/Hybrid |
Length | 208.2 inches | 215.2 inches |
Wheelbase | 126.6 inches | 133.7 inches |
Height | 59.2 inches | 59.4 inches |
Weight | 4990 pounds | 5422 pounds |
Color type | Solid | Two-tone |
MSRP | $115,650 | $195,000 |
The Maybach 57 And 62 Were Based On The W140 S-Class
Under the ownership of Mercedes, Maybach would not make another vehicle until the Maybach concept which was shown in 1997. This was based on the W140 Mercedes S-class made from 1991-1998. This was one of the best-built S-class models and was a worthy platform to build an ultra-luxury vehicle. But Maybach did not release the finished product until 2002.
The Maybach 57 and 62 were released in 2002 but still based on the old W140 S-class chassis. At this time, the new W220 S-class had just been released with improved features and technology. But the Maybach was so ahead of the Mercedes models in technology and comfort features that rivaled Rolls-Royce. They were also longer than any S-class variant at the time with the aim of owners being chauffeured.
In 2008, The Luxury Brand Status Index placed the Maybach brand as number one ahead of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Every wealthy person wanted one instead of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Mercedes. Rappers like DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, and Birdman all had one and they made appearances in their music videos. Even Kim Jong-Un still had one. Vehicles from Mercedes didn’t even get as much press as the Maybach vehicles.
Every feature that was optional on the S-class was standard on the Maybach and even more. Some crazy features included:
- Fully reclining rear seats
- Maybach four-zone climate control
- Tinted windows
- Infrared-reflecting laminated glass all round,
- AirMATIC dual-control air suspension,
- Display instruments in the rear roof liner (showing speed, time, and outside temperature),
- Left and Right folding rear tables
- 21-speaker BOSE Surround Everywhere sound system
- A refrigerator compartment.
- Cockpit Management and Navigation System (COMAND) including DVD navigation, CD changer in rear seats, DVD players, and TV tuners front and rear.
- Two rear LCD TV screens with remote control and two sets of headphones
- Automatic closing doors.
- A panoramic glass sunroof
- An external communication system to talk to people outside
- A retractable electro-transparent partition screen between the driver and the rear occupants.
Maybach Engine specifications
Engine | Twin turbo V-12 | Twin turbo V-12 |
|---|---|---|
Displacement | 5.5 liters | 6.0 liters |
Power | 542 horsepower | 604–631 horsepower |
Torque | 664 pound-feet | 738 pound-feet |
Drivetrain | Rear-wheel drive | Rear-wheel drive |
They were the most opulent vehicles and had the very best comfort features thrown at them. While the S-class had different engine choices from six-cylinders to V-12 engines the Maybachs always had the top engine. It got the 5.5-liter twin turbo V-12 with later versions from 2005 getting the six-liter V-12 engine from 2005 with the 57s models. These engines even had higher outputs than the S-class models at the time.
Maybach Was Canceled In 2012 Due To Poor Sales
Mercedes had a whole lineup of vehicles that made and had great sales every year. But Maybach made only two models with different variations and a one-off concept. These were:
- 2002 Maybach 57 and 62
- 2005 Maybach Exelero (one-off)
- 2005 Maybach 57S (Spezial)
- 2006 Maybach 62S
- 2007 Maybach 62 Landaulet
- 2009 Maybach 57 and 62 "Zeppelin" (additional luxury packages).
- 2010 Maybach 57S Cruisero Coupé by Xenatec
But poor sales meant these cars were money pits for Mercedes-Benz despite the wealthy clientele it brought. This was also due to its hefty price tag with a base 57 starting at $366,000 with the Landaulet in excess of $1.3 million. For comparison, the S-class at the time started at $70,000 and topped out at $180,000. Rolls Royces started at $300,000 and still sold more units than the Maybach.
Maybach projected sales figures of 2000 cars per year but sold just over 3000 cars in its decade of production. In comparison, Rolls-Royce sold 2,711 cars in 2010 alone. The W211 S-class sold 11,200 examples in its worst year in 2009 with over 30,000 in 2006 in the US alone. Plans were being made for a new generation Maybach in collaboration with Aston Martin alongside the new Aston Martin Lagonda. But with only 44 Maybachs sold in 2011, the brand was killed off in 2012.
Maybach Is Now An Ultra Luxury Trim For The Mercedes S-class
Mercedes revived the Maybach name again in 2015 as an ultra-luxury trim level of the S-class. The first car was the Mercedes Maybach S600 and a Vision Mercedes Maybach Concept 6 shown in 2016 which previewed future Mercedes design language. Current Maybach models like the S-class and GLS offer more luxury features, options, exclusive Maybach badges, and paint schemes. But it doesn’t feel that much different from a regular S-class as you could have most of these options.
Maybach was such an affluent brand in the early 2000s and had carved a niche for itself that it couldn’t even be called a Mercedes. You didn’t even think of driving a Maybach because you were a wealthy individual who couldn’t bother yourself with such things. But today, Maybach has simply been reduced to higher trim with special options.