MAYBACH 62 S MAKES U.S. DEBUT AT L.A. AUTO SHOW
11/29/2006
Maybach
Maybach is launching the high-performance long-wheelbase Maybach 62 S at the Greater L.A. Auto Show, open to the public December 1 - 10, 2006. The new 62 S joins the Maybach 62 as well as the standard-wheelbase Maybach 57 and 57 S models. Infused with even greater power and enhanced agility, the Maybach 62 S delivers a level of performance expected in an exotic sports car while maintaining the extraordinary luxury and comfort of the world's finest super-luxury sedan.
The "S" stands for "Special" - a designation that has identified high-performance versions of European cars for decades. The new Maybach 62 S can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in 5.2 seconds, and is capable of reaching a top speed of 172 mph. Unique exterior and interior appointments help set apart the two "Special" performance sedans. Offering customers choices that are unmatched in the ultra-luxury segment, all four Maybach models blend 21st century technology with classic hand craftsmanship and attention to detail in ways not possible in conventional mass production.
Maybach 62 S: 604-Horsepower Twin-Turbo V12
The Maybach was designed to drive like a private luxury jet for the road, and the new 62 S model takes that analogy to an even higher level - "a jet with an afterburner." Like the 57 S, the 62 S is powered by a higher-performance version of the Maybach twin-turbo, intercooled V12 engine. Designed and hand-built by Mercedes-AMG, the 62 S powerplant displaces six liters, a half-liter more than the standard engine. With higher turbo boost pressure and other modifications, the 62 S engine produces an impressive 604 horsepower and a massive 738 pound-feet of torque from as low as 2,000 rpm.
To balance its increased acceleration, the Maybach 62 S chassis has been modified to provide sharper handling response, with firmer air suspension and shock absorbers as well as thicker stabilizer bars. The suspension has been specially tuned to work with new 11-spoke, 20-inch alloy wheels fitted with 275/45 R 20 Michelin Pilot Sport tires (versus 19-inch wheels on the standard 57 model).
The new chassis provides even more impressive handling without unduly compromising the car's whisper-smooth ride. In addition, the ESP stability control and traction control programming have been revised to allow the driver to get the most out of the additional performance.
Unique Appointments for 62 S
The limited edition Maybach 62 S comes in a choice of a unique Baltic Black, Nevada Silver or Antique White metallic paint, as well as a more aggressively styled grill, body-color headlight surrounds, chrome-trimmed fog lights, rectangular dual exhaust tips and "62 S" badging on the trunk lid and front fenders.
Inside, the 62 S makes a bolder design statement with a choice of Vesuvius Black Grand Nappa leather seating embellished with black or silver piping or Aspen White Grand Nappa leather seating with black piping. Equally distinctive is true carbon fiber trim complemented by piano lacquer, which replaces the fine woods that set the tone for the other Maybach interiors. As an alternative to the carbon fiber trim, Maybach customers can also choose a black poplar wood with piano lacquer trim that will only be offered on this special model.
A Classic Name, A New Luxury Standard
A sister brand to Mercedes-Benz, Maybach plays an important role in the DaimlerChrysler Group by leading the automotive world in new luxury concepts and benchmarks. The Maybach brand revived a practice of building and selling grand luxury automobiles in a manner that disappeared more than 60 years ago. It is a return to the true commissioned car built precisely to a customer's specifications.
As with luxury yachts, Maybach nomenclature denotes vehicle length in meters. The Maybach 57 models are 5.73 meters (225.3 inches) long on a 133.5-inch wheelbase, while the Maybach 62 models, which account for about 25 percent of sales, measure 6.17 meters (242.5 inches) long on a 150.7-inch wheelbase, making it the longest production automobile in the world.
The brand name honors Wilhelm Maybach, one of the most important engineers of the automotive age. Maybach worked closely with Gottlieb Daimler in the late 19th century to build the first internal combustion-powered automobiles and went on to design the first Mercedes car in 1901. A tremendous leap ahead of "horseless carriages" of the day, that first Mercedes became the basic blueprint for all cars to follow. Wilhelm's son Karl was also an engineering mastermind who, from 1921 to 1941, developed and put the Maybach name on 1,800 of the world's finest custom-built luxury cars.
Customers can commission a new Maybach at select Mercedes-Benz dealers. As of 2006, 69 Maybach studios are operational. In a special commissioning studio, the dealership's Maybach Relationship Manager (MRM) helps the customer design a Maybach using an interactive computer simulator with a 50-inch plasma screen, along with samples of wood, leather and paint finishes.
It takes approximately five months to construct and deliver a Maybach, and the production facility will complete just one or two cars per day. This deliberate production pace allows Maybach to accommodate individual customer choices, such as special interior fittings and trim, as well as extensive handcrafting.
Private Jet for the Road
The Maybach 57 and Maybach 62 models are powered by a 5.5-liter 543-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V12 engine that produces 664 lb.-ft. of peak torque at only 2,300 rpm. Teamed to a five-speed electronic automatic transmission specially developed to handle this level of torque, the engine can rocket the Maybach 57 from zero-to-60 mph in just 5.2 seconds (5.4 seconds for the Maybach 62) in near-silence.
Innovations adapted from sister brand Mercedes-Benz help to ensure that braking, handling and safety match such performance. That technology includes the electronic braking system, Airmatic DC air suspension, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and a supplemental restraint system with 10 airbags.
The Ultimate Luxury Car Benchmark
The private jet analogy also applies to the Maybach interior. The multifunction center console between the rear seats houses a DVD player, VHF TV tuner, six-disc CD changer, telephone system, a refrigerated compartment with its own compressor, and even a sophisticated system that holds a beverage bottle and two standard Robbe & Berking sterling silver beverage flutes securely in place.
The interior is outfitted with the finest materials available, including hand-fitted Grand Nappa leather, nubuck leather trim, Alcantara-trimmed headliner and pillars, deep-nap velour carpeting and a choice of three fine woods - cherry, amboyna or walnut. All four seats are heated, with active ventilated seats available. Power rear window curtains provide a measure of privacy for the occupants.
Leather specialists cut a total of about 210 leather sections to size for every Maybach and hand-sew them together into 62 larger pieces. One hundred fine wood trim sections tastefully embellish most of the surfaces in the doors, center consoles and the cabin ceiling. All are carefully handcrafted and individually selected by experienced specialists to ensure complementary grain and shade.
The Maybach is equipped with two state-of-the-art automatic climate control systems - one for the front section and one specifically for the rear. Both systems are sensor-controlled to take into account the temperature, humidity, the intensity of the sunshine and even the pollutant levels in the outside air. The system ensures that the set temperature remains constant and virtually draft-free for every seat. To help keep the interior cool when the car is parked, an optional solar module on the roof converts sunlight into up to 63 Watts of electrical energy that runs a ventilation fan when the ignition is turned off.
The 21-speaker Bose(R) Everywhere Dolby(R) sound system envelopes each occupant with concert hall quality sound. In all Maybach models, rear passengers can watch television or DVD playback on two power-tilt-adjustable, high-resolution 9.5-inch LCD screens. The system features auxiliary inputs for mp3 players, video or game consoles. Headphones in the rear enable the vehicle to play three separate entertainment programs simultaneously, offering all passengers a truly individualized entertainment experience.
The Maybach also comes standard-equipped with a SIRIUS satellite radio receiver that includes a lifetime subscription for the satellite broadcast service. An optional Sony PlayStation(R) 2 is mounted in the trunk and includes two wireless joysticks and a reset button in the rear cabin. Also found in the trunk of every Maybach is a handcrafted Dunhill Collection umbrella.
The power-adjustable front and rear seats feature dynamic multicontour seatbacks with pneumatically adjustable lumbar, shoulder and side bolster air chambers. A massage function gently pulsates the central lumbar cushion to reduce muscle fatigue. The rim of the four-spoke multifunction steering wheel is clad in Nappa leather and fine wood sections (all leather for the 62 S and 57 S), and the leather sections are heated.
In the front cabin, the COMAND (COckpit MANagement and Data) system integrates controls for the standard navigation, audio and telephone systems. An in-car voice control system allows driver operation of commonly used phone and audio system features.
Better Than First-Class Seating
The Maybach 62 models apply their extra length to what is undeniably the most luxurious automobile rear seating in the world today. Rear seats that have been compared to those in the first-class cabin of an overseas airline include recliners that provide full body support even for a tall passenger. Pressing the "Pulse" button provides an air-driven gentle back massage.
Rear seats in the Maybach 57 models include power adjustments for seatback and cushion angle, plus head restraint height and angle. Three-place rear seating is available as a special option for any Maybach model.
Folding tables, standard on the Maybach 62 and optionally available for the Maybach 57, are made from machined aluminum with a two-part surface veneered in fine wood and with undersides covered in Nappa leather. A classic touch in the rear compartment of all Maybach models is an instrument binnacle in the ceiling between the B-pillars that houses an auxiliary speedometer, outside temperature gauge and clock.
In the Maybach 62 and 62 S, an optional power glass partition can separate the front and rear sections of the vehicle. For added privacy, it features a retractable curtain. When so equipped, the Maybach also includes an intercom to allow a chauffeur and rear passengers to communicate when the partition window is raised.
Luxury Innovations
Each Maybach door features an infinitely adjustable hydraulic retainer system that helps prevent the doors from knocking against obstructions in tight parking places. A standard power-closing feature pulls the door closed from the first detent position. Standard on the Maybach 62 and 62 S and optional for the Maybach 57 and 57 S, a full power door-pull feature pulls the doors closed from fully open.
Ambient interior lighting creates a pleasant, diffused lighting effect that remains switched on even when the car is moving. The optionally available electro-transparent rear roof section for the Maybach 62 and 62 S is lined with an electro-luminescent membrane that, when switched on, emits a pleasant, diffused light. Rear passengers can control the panel's lighting intensity.
Parking Made Easier and Safer
An innovative Dynamic Rear View Monitor helps the Maybach driver judge the size of a parking space and guide the car into it. When the gear selector lever is shifted into Reverse, the dash display provides a view of what the trunk lid-mounted camera sees behind the vehicle.
The system conveys that information through a series of guide lines superimposed on the COMAND screen. The lines respond dynamically to vehicle position and steering wheel angle, helping the driver to judge parking space size and indicating if any obstacles intrude into it. Guide lines for parallel parking help the driver reverse the car into a space using reference points for the vehicle next to the Maybach and the curb.
Airmatic Won't Spill the Champagne
The Airmatic air suspension system endows the Maybach with an uncanny combination of comfort and agility. The system combines air suspension with an Adaptive Damping System (ADS II), allowing the Maybach to adapt to driving conditions and road surfaces. Air springs ensure comfortable springing, while ADS II regulates the shock absorber damping force depending on the road surface, driving style and vehicle load.
Double wishbone front suspension and a multi-link independent rear suspension system are attached to subframes via special rubber bushings, and the subframes are mounted to the body structure via specially developed hydraulically damped bearings. This configuration provides the highest level of isolation from the road. Nineteen-inch cast light-alloy wheels with 275/50R-19 tires accentuate the commanding appearance of the Maybach 57 and Maybach 62., while the 62 S and 57 S models features exclusive 20-inch wheels with 275/45R-20 tires.
ESP, Ten Airbags and More
An adaptive restraint system helps provide the highest level of occupant protection and includes 10 airbags: two in front (2), a side airbag in each seatback (4) and front and rear head protection curtain airbags for each side (4). The driver and front passenger airbags automatically adapt to the severity of an accident. The airbag system takes front passenger weight into account and deploys with the appropriate power. In the Maybach 62 and 62 S, the rear seat recliners are designed to move to an upright position in a collision.
The Electronic Stability program (ESP) enhances driver control and helps maintain directional stability in turns as well as when driving straight ahead, including over uneven surfaces and over patchy snow, ice or gravel. The system integrates ASR traction control.
A standard Tele Aid system can summon emergency response in the case of a severe collision. Tele Aid is activated immediately when any one of the seatbelt emergency tensioning retractors or 10 airbags deploys, generating a direct call to an emergency response center over a dedicated, crash-secure cellular line and redundant antennas. GPS satellite location provides the response specialist with vehicle location and information. The specialist can summon emergency services if needed.
Maybach was the first-ever automobile to receive the "Five Star Diamond Award" from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (AAHS) for three consecutive years (this prestigious award had previously been reserved for the world's top luxury hotels and restaurants). The AAHS named Maybach "Automobile of the Century" based on a tradition of excellence in the 'World Renowned Products' category, which also includes the famed "Christina O" as the 'Most Prestigious and Exclusive Private Yacht.'
The manufacturer's suggested retail price for the 2007 Maybach 57 is $335,500; the Maybach 57 S is $375,000; and the Maybach 62 is $386,500. All prices exclude a $2,750 charge for shipment from Germany.
Customer Care
Maybach cars are sold and serviced exclusively by select Mercedes-Benz dealerships. The standard four-year/unlimited mileage warranty includes a comprehensive maintenance plan, subscription to Tele Aid services, lifetime Sirius Satellite radio subscription and pickup/delivery for service work.