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Imagine that you came across an ad in a newspaper that read, ''Luxury villa. Built in 2003. 4.29 m2. Small cinema and power adjustable beds. No balcony, bathrooms, pantry, foundation or garden. Price: 1 million Euro (420,000 Euro in Europe).'' Who ever heard of a 4.29 m2 house costing a million Euros? Well, this ad could be for DaimlerChrysler's new luxury limousine, the Maybach 62 (or the short-wheelbase 57). The Maybach 62 not only costs the equivalent of a luxury villa but has also been awarded the Five Star Diamond Award, only presented to luxury hotels and restaurants.
Over 2,200,000 combinations
The Maybach 62 was launched at the Paris International Motor Show in 2002 and the first clients received their cars a year later. The Maybach brand was originally established by Wilhelm Maybach, an engineer at Daimler in the 1920s who designed the first ever Mercedes. Today, the Maybach has been reincarnated for the 21st century.Only 1000 Maybachs will be produced a year, but customers have a choice of over 2,200,000 combinations of colours, upholstery and specifications. The aluminium rear doors open to 85 degrees and the 600-watt Dolby Surround stereo system has 7 high performance amplifiers and 21 speakers. The Maybach 62 also has a 9.5 inch TV set.
Both the Maybach 62 and the Maybach 57 have a Twin-Turbo 32 valve V12 engine. The 5.5l engine, providing 550 HP and 900 Nm torque at 2300 RPM, helps the 3-ton automobile to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds. The Maybach has a 5 speed automatic transmission, the same as the flagship Mercedes S Series, as well as an Airmatic DC air suspension, SBC, ABS, ESP, EBD and 10 airbags as standard. Optional extras include a glass roof, a partition wall between the front and rear seats and armour plating.
The latest Rolls-Royce: the Phantom
The only real competitor to the Maybach in terms of luxury and performance is the Rolls-Royce Phantom, launched at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show, the updated version of the Phantom I and II of the 1930s. The Phantom has only 31 buttons in the cockpit compared to the Maybach's confusing 76. The rear seat can be separated into two individual seats with a DVD system between them. The rear seats feature foot rests and all the floor mats are made of lambswool.The direct injection 6.0l, 6750 cc engine provides 453 HP at 5350 RPM, has a curbside weight of 2,485 kg and accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds. The Phantom has a maximum speed of 240 km/h, a 100l fuel tank capacity, and fuel consumption of around 15.9 litres per 100 km.
