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Maybach: future plans
By Yoann Besnard on 1 May 2007 | 
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Maybach has lost the first round, but not the match. Though the 57/62 did not live up to its expections, the brand image exists and is well known around the world thanks to the Exelero and Jay-Z. The German super-luxury manufacturer is currently working on three projects according to an insider: an SUV based on the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, a 4-door coupe like the CLS but for the very wealthy and a 4-seat coupe like the impressive Exelero.
Maybach seems to have resigned itself to testing every possibility and an SUV is one of them. Its competitors have considered doing the same but gave up the idea due to their lack of presence on the SUV market. However, even though Maybach itself also currently has no presence on this market, its parent company, Mercedes-Benz has a long history with the G Class. Despite being almost 30 years old, the G-Class is still a favourite among wealthy buyers. The move to producing a Maybach SUV would seem to be a natural progression.
Considered as a transition model, it would be a windfall for the subsidiary. Built on the GL platform, it would be cheap to manufacture but sold at a high price. Obviously the GL would be modified. It would receive a Maybach grille, new bumpers and a revised rear-end. The interior would get top-grade leather, luxury wooden panels and rear lounge seats like those in the 57/62. The car would be sold outside Europe and only 1,500 would be made every year.
The second - and favourite - project is a smaller limousine that would compete with the baby Rolls. Both manufacturers would meet for round two. Maybach would like to take advantage of the Mercedes CLS-Class success to launch a luxury 4-door coupe. Dubbed super-CLS, the limousine would be based on the S-Class, but designers would not repeat the mistake they made with the 57/62, often known as the über S-Class. The smaller Maybach would have its own design and it is said that the car would include exterior lights to accentuate certain body contours. It would also reuse the 5.5-litre turbo V-12 from the S-Class. The car would be sold at a price of around £150,000.
The last project would be a production model of the flamboyant Exelero, the success of which impressed Maybach's decision-makers. They gave the green light to product planners for a possible production model. However, no more information is currently available about this project, leaving market analysts guessing about the next move of this struggling carmaker.
