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Maybach will be presenting its high-end luxury saloons wîth added sparkle and wîth significantly extended high-class equipment and individualisation options. A large new chrome radiator grille confidently emphasises the legendary saloons’ exceptional status. Other new highlights include the bonnet wîth a shaped edge, the trim on the front bumper wîth daytime driving lights featuring LED technology, high-quality, dark red tail lights and a new, exclusively developed paint and stylish wheels.

In future those purchasing a Maybach 57 and 57 S will also be able to opt for the rear reclining seat from the Maybach 62 models. New items are available on request, among them seat piping which is hand-braided or refined wîth CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski Elements, an exquisite flacon perfume atomiser and a WLAN router for wireless internet access. As an option, a 19-inch cinema screen and an overview camera for the rear passengers can be installed in the rear of the Maybach 62 and 62 S models.

The output of the twelve-cylinder engine in the Maybach 57 S and 62 S has been increased to 463 kW (630 hp) but the pollutant emissions of all models have still been cut. The facelifted versions of the Maybach saloons are even more self-confident and effortlessly superior, their charisma even more striking. The exceptional status they enjoy finds its main emphasis in the new dominant chrome radiator grille, which is meticulously produced in two different variants.

In the Maybach 57 and 62 models it has 20 fine longitudinal bars, and in the Maybach 57 S and 62 S twelve solid double louvres and a ‘shadow strut’ flag up the vehicle’s tremendous power. Both arrow-shaped radiator grilles are also higher and boast significantly greater dimensions than before, and they have been assigned a more upright position. The designers have elevated the modified bonnet and given it sharply defined contours. It has a contoured edge and appears distinctly arrow-shaped.

A restyled, horizontally structured bumper trim gives the Maybach saloons an even broader look. Daytime driving lights featuring LED technology and bordered wîth a chrome insert have been integrated into the outer air intakes. The new exterior mirrors wîth optimised aerodynamics for less driving noise harmonise wîth the striking front, whilst their large surface means improved vision.

Dark red tail lights and chrome trim used on the handle in the boot lid lend the end section a powerful, distinguished look. This in turn is underlined by new high-sheen 21-spoke 19-inch wheels in titanium silver for the Maybach 57 and 62 models. The Maybach 57 S and 62 S models will in future be shod as standard wîth new 12-spoke 20-inch wheels in noble sterling silver. All models are available in the new Bahamas Blue paint.

Interior

The rear reclining seat which has only been available in the Maybach saloons wîth a long wheelbase up until now can, wîth immediate effect, also be installed on the front-passenger side in the rear of the Maybach 57 and 57 S models. At the same time Maybach has enhanced the craftsmanship of the seats for all models. The look of the seat upholstery layout has been refined and given additional piping. On request the piping can also be hand-braided or adorned wîth valuable CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski Elements. In the upper part of the seat backrest a redesigned badge in 925 sterling silver wîth ‘MAYBACH MANÚFAKTÚR’ lettering is an impressive indication of the great love of detail and serves as a reminder of the prestigious environment in which one is travelling.

Maybach cuts an equally fine figure when it comes to the range of individualisation options available for the luxury saloons, which has been significantly extended. For the very first time there is an extremely high-quality flacon perfume atomiser available on request, having been developed exclusively by Maybach. Úp until now it was reserved only for the special Maybach Zeppelin model, limited to just 100 units.

As an option a large, high-resolution cinema screen wîth a 19-inch diagonal can now be fitted to the centre of the partition in the Maybach 62 models, as an alternative to the 9.5-inch monitors in the rear available until now. If required Maybach will also fit the vehicles which have a partition – which, incidentally, can now also be personalised with motifs of the customer’s choosing – wîth an overview camera, via which the rear passengers are able to keep an eye on the traffic in front of them without being seen themselves – even wîth an opaque partition window.

Thanks to an innovative WLAN router it is even possible to enjoy wireless internet access during the journey. This state-of-the-art connection uses the fast transmission standards HSDPA, ÚMTS and GSM/EDGE. A new mobile phone hands-free system wîth Bluetooth functionality is also available in the rear. And a newly developed DVD player in the rear now also reads extended DVD formats.

As one would expect, the Maybach MANÚFAKTÚR showcases masterly handcraftsmanship wîth no compromises in the interior, where materials of the highest quality abound. There are three new interior appointments wîth different leather, carpet and headlining colours. New trim in selected dark brown bird’s-eye maple, which can be combined wîth brilliant porcelain piano lacquer in the Maybach 57 S and 62 S, underline the regal ambience. As an alternative, customers can now choose from carbon-fibre trim elements wîth a sporty touch in various different colours, such as silver and red.

Powerful

Even though the Maybach developers have increased the output of the Maybach 57 S and 62 S by 13 kW (18 hp) to 463 kW (630 hp), they were able to reduce the consumption figures (from 16.4 to 15.8 l/100 km) and the CO2 output (from 390 to 368 g/km CO2). The output of the 57 and 62 models remained unchanged, whilst consumption (15.0 as opposed to 15.9 l/100 km) and CO2 output (350 as opposed to 383 g/km) was also cut here. All the Maybach twelve-cylinder engines meet the EÚ5 standard/LEV2.

Ever been in the backseat of a Maybach 62 S and thought to yourself, “Nice, but I wish it had a retractable roof”? Yeah, neither have we. But for those who find the rear compartment of Maybach’s top-shelf sedan a bit too somber, the 2009 Maybach Landaulet is just what der Doktor ordered. Essentially a 62 S with a front/rear dividing wall and a soft rear roof panel that your chauffeur can retract at the touch of a button, the Landaulet is bound to be a hit with prodigal heads of state and deep-pocketed parade organizers everywhere. And when we say “deep-pocketed,” we mean it: Despite its similarity to the 62 S, the Landaulet commands a nearly $1 million premium for its unique design. If it were up to us, we’d grab a 62 S for $450,000 and tell the guys at “Pimp My Ride” to “Landaulet it.” That way we’d also get some seatback-mounted LCD TVs and a cool paint job out of the deal, not to mention the vacation home we’d buy with the leftover cash. But at the end of the day, that’s just not how petty despots think. A million extra bucks for an al fresco Maybach? Put it on the taxpayers’ tab — they won’t even notice. For those with that kind of access to funds, or for those who just happen to have a small country’s worth of financial reserves in their bank accounts, the 2009 Maybach Landaulet might make a lot of sense. For the rest of us, it makes no sense whatsoever, but the Landaulet is still an interesting conversation piece.

To make a Landaulet out of a 62 S, the Maybach folks remove the rear roof while leaving the side walls intact, albeit reinforced with a tubular steel frame. The hole in the roof is filled by a black soft top that retracts in 16 seconds and comes with a fitted leather boot, which must be installed separately (don’t worry, the chauffeur takes care of that).The Landaulet’s other distinguishing feature is the partition between the front and rear compartments. Aside from that, it’s a 62 S — for triple the price. As such, the Landaulet otherwise gets the same report card as its more commonplace sibling. Its twin-turbocharged V12 engine is enormously powerful. Its customization options are dizzying, with a personal “Maybach Relationship Manager” on hand to make sure your Landaulet is built to your exact specification. On the downside, its Mercedes-Benz roots are too visible (Maybach is a division of Mercedes) — the door-mounted power seat controls, for example, are the same as in any number of Mercedes products, and the overall styling of the car is too evocative of the S-Class. But we doubt that Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said of Oman will care. The Landaulet is the only luxury vehicle of its kind, and that alone should be enough to ensure its success.

The Landaulet is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 familiar from other Mercedes-Benz products. It cranks out an astounding 604 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed automatic transmission is mandatory because it’s the only transmission in the Mercedes stable that can handle all that torque. Acceleration is impressive; fuel economy is not.

The 2009 Maybach Landaulet comes standard with antilock brakes, stability control and front and rear side and side curtain airbags.

Those fortunate (or foolish) enough to spend $1.4 million on a 2009 Maybach Landaulet will be more interested in riding impressions, but their drivers will be pleased to discover that the Landaulet’s 6.0-liter V12 is quite possibly the finest engine available in any car. Torque is monstrous at any engine speed. The cabin is generally quiet, though the soft top lets in a bit more road and wind noise than the fixed-roof 62 S.

The choicest ultra-luxurious sedans hailed from England. While that may still be true in spirit, the truth is the Germans have this exclusive market cornered. With Rolls-Royce and Bentley under the control of BMW and Volkswagen, respectively, it seems fitting that Mercedes-Benz would be in the fray as well. Unlike the Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, which retain most of their stylistic DNA from their storied past, the 2009 Maybach 62 owes much of its appearance to the previous-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The original Mercedes lines are unmistakable under a veil of subtle styling changes that include a revised grille, a Maybach insignia in place of the three-pointed star, different headlights and taillights and more graceful, flowing sheetmetal. From outward appearances, the Maybach seems more like a stretched and customized Mercedes than a purpose-built luxury icon like the Rolls-Royce Phantom, and for this reason, the Maybach seems just a bit less special.

That’s not to say the Maybach 62 is anything less than extraordinary. With twin-turbo V12s derived from Mercedes’ AMG performance wing, power output is a staggering 543 horsepower, and a ludicrous 604 hp for the 62 S. Despite the approximate 6,340-pound curb weight, both Maybachs are capable of achieving 0-60-mph times of around 5 seconds. Equally impressive is the autobahn-bombing top speed of 155 mph (172 mph for the 62 S). While most car shopping experiences rank right up there with a tax audit, purchasing a Maybach is more akin to a Rodeo Drive shopping spree — providing, of course, that a $400,000 expenditure wouldn’t elicit more than a shrug. Acquiring one of these exclusive rides starts with a visit to the Maybach “Commissioning Studio” to meet with a “Relationship Manager.” Aside from the seemingly endless array of paint, upholstery and trim choices, clients can also opt for a truly unique vehicle by specifying every aspect down to the seat stitching. Want to match the exterior paint to your mansion, or use the same exotic wood from your Steinway piano for the interior trim? Requests like these are most likely accommodated — as long as your wallet remains open. Orders that include any sort of individualization require approximately five months to fill. Though the Phantom and the Maybach 62 are similarly equipped, their executions seem worlds apart. Rather than the “old money” feel of a Rolls-Royce that harkens back to the days of empire and steamships, the Maybach has a decidedly “new money” European Union and spaceship flavor. For the well-heeled, we suspect deciding between them will largely depend on which approach appeals most.

Both the Maybach 62 and 62 S are powered by versions of the twin-turbocharged V12 that is utilized in some of the higher-end AMG Mercedes-Benzes. The 5.5-liter V12 in the 62 produces 543 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, while the 6.0-liter version in the 62 S is rated at 604 hp and 738 lb-ft. All of this power amounts to 0-60-mph times of 5.4 seconds for the 62 and 5.2 seconds for the 62 S. Remarkable performance, considering that these sedans weigh in at over 6,000 pounds. According to the EPA, the Maybach 62 and 62 S should return 10 mpg city/16 mpg highway and 12 mpg in combined driving.

As expected from any Mercedes-related vehicle, the 2009 Maybach 62 has a comprehensive list of safety features that includes side airbags for the front and rear passengers, full-length side curtain airbags, antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, front and rear parking sensors and a rearview camera.

Since it is really intended to be driven by chauffeurs, the 2009 Maybach 62 is keenly focused on ride quality, and in this regard, it excels. The rear cabin acts much like a posh sensory deprivation chamber, eliminating any hint of road imperfections and wind noise. From behind the wheel, the Maybach 62 drives much like the smaller-wheelbase Maybach 57, with incredible acceleration, competent brakes and high-speed cruising comfort. As expected from a car with such large dimensions and heft, handling is far from exceptional, but obviously, the Maybach was never intended to deliver aggressive cornering. In tight metropolitan confines the extended wheelbase makes maneuvering tedious and clumsy — but no more than a typical stretched Lincoln or Cadillac limo, and the Maybach definitely out-classes them in cool factor and cachet.

The choicest ultra-luxurious sedans hailed from England. While that may still be true in spirit, the truth is the Germans have this exclusive market cornered. With Rolls-Royce and Bentley under the control of BMW and Volkswagen, respectively, it seems fitting that Mercedes-Benz would be in the fray as well. Unlike the Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, which retain most of their stylistic DNA from their storied past, the 2009 Maybach 57 owes much of its appearance to the previous-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The original Mercedes lines are unmistakable under a veil of subtle styling changes that include a revised grille, a Maybach insignia in place of the three-pointed star, different headlights and taillights and more graceful, flowing sheet metal. From outward appearances, the Maybach seems more like a stretched and customized Mercedes than a purpose-built luxury icon like the Rolls-Royce Phantom, and for this reason, the Maybach seems just a bit less special. That’s not to say the Maybach 57 is anything less than extraordinary. With twin-turbo V12s derived from Mercedes’ AMG performance wing, power output is a staggering 543 horsepower, and a ludicrous 604 hp for the 57 S. Despite curb weights of approximately 6,000 pounds, both Maybachs are capable of achieving 0-60-mph times of around 5 seconds.

Equally impressive is the autobahn-bombing top speed of 155 mph (172 mph for the 57 S). While most car shopping experiences rank right up there with a tax audit, purchasing a Maybach is more akin to a Rodeo Drive shopping spree — providing, of course, that a $400,000 expenditure wouldn’t elicit more than a shrug. Acquiring one of these exclusive rides starts with a visit to the Maybach “Commissioning Studio” to meet with a “Relationship Manager.” Aside from the seemingly endless array of paint, upholstery and trim choices, clients can also opt for a truly unique vehicle by specifying every aspect down to the seat stitching. Want to match the exterior paint to your mansion, or use the same exotic wood from your Steinway piano for the interior trim? Requests like these are most likely accommodated — as long as your wallet remains open. Orders that include any sort of individualization require approximately five months to fulfill. Though the Phantom and the 2009 Maybach 57 are similarly equipped, their executions seem worlds apart. Rather than the “old money” feel of a Rolls-Royce that harkens back to the days of empire and steamships, the Maybach has a decidedly “new money” European Union and spaceship flavor. For the well-heeled, we suspect deciding between them will largely depend on which approach appeals most.

Both the Maybach 57 and 57 S are powered by versions of the twin-turbocharged V12 that is utilized in some of the higher-end AMG Mercedes-Benzes. The 5.5-liter V12 in the 57 produces 543 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, while the 6.0-liter version in the 57 S is rated at 604 hp and 738 lb-ft. All of this power amounts to 0-60-mph times of 5.2 seconds for the 57 and 5.0 seconds for the 57 S. Remarkable performance, considering that these sedans weigh in at over 6,000 pounds. According to the EPA, the Maybach 57 and 57 S should return 10 mpg city/16 mpg highway and 12 mpg in combined driving.

The 2009 Maybach 57 seems completely unaware of its three-ton weight when traveling in a straight line. Both the 57 and 57 S excel at acceleration and cruising at speeds generally reserved for supercars or aircraft. But that weight becomes all too apparent when the road veers left or right — not even the Maybach is immune from the laws of physics. Then again, aggressive cornering in a Maybach makes about as much sense as trying to deliver dignitaries to a function on a scooter. What the Maybach 57 does deliver is a quiet and serene ride to its passengers while they bask in one of the most luxurious cabins a lot of money can buy — and it delivers these traits with ease.