ge4695573032399889866
ge4798443627480495017
ge4894159963512918946
ge4750176262085021168
ge5472728932973808163
Glenn Butler1 Mar 2003
REVIEW

Maybach 57 and 62

Mercedes-Benz's Maybach super-limousine jetted into town to tempt Australia's mega rich with its unmatched blend of luxury and power. By Glenn Butler

Mercedes-Benz gave the super rich an early glimpse of the new Maybach luxury limousine in a post-Grand Prix Melbourne ahead of its October 2003 arrival. Already one Australian has anted up the $100,000 deposit required to secure his place in the queue for a $890,000 Maybach 57.

But no matter how much money you've got, you can't take one of the twin-turbocharged, V12-engined monsters for a test drive, yet. The car displayed was built for the world reveal at the 2002 Paris show in September and is not a true production version. It was air-freighted to Australia by Mercedes-Benz at significant cost specifically to show to prospective customers.

Thirty-two people viewed it in early March in Melbourne, 40 in Sydney the week after. At least five of the Melbourne crowd requested a private viewing to further discuss the grand luxury limousine in private with a Maybach representative.

Already, more than 40 Maybachs have been delivered to buyers in Europe, which along with the United States, is expected to account for 65 percent of the 1000 vehicle annual production. Australian Maybachs, built only to order, will start arriving late this year.

So, what do you get when you buy a million dollar Maybach? For starters, a 'Personal Liaison Manager' will guide you through the purchase and customization of your vehicle. Each PLM takes care of a small group of owners, and is available to them 24 hours a day, seven days a week via mobile phone, or at the touch of the 'PLM' button in each Maybach.

Need a service? The PLM will arrange it, and ensure you have a 'replacement vehicle' - most likely a Mercedes-Benz S-class - while your Maybach is in the shop. Need tickets to the F1 grand prix? Or maybe seats at the opera? The PLM's brief is to attend to your every need.

Both the Maybach 57 and Maybach 62 are powered by a 5.5-litre, V12 engine with two turbochargers. It pumps out 405kW of power and 900Nm of torque - more torque than any other passenger sedan in the world - and is capable of propelling the 2.7 tonne vehicle from rest to 100km/h in a sportscar-like 5.2 seconds.

The names 57 and 62 refer to the overall length of the vehicle, using a naming convention common among boat builders - and with good reason. Maybach's competition is not so much other super-luxury vehicles but luxury yachts, planes, helicopters, houses and the odd tropical island.

The interior of the Maybach is decked out with every conceivable comfort, from wine chillers, fully reclining leather seats with footrests in the rear, one-touch door closing, DVD players, three mobile phones and an aircraft-style folding table for each rear passenger. And don't forget the innovative glass roof which goes from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button.

The Maybach has every safety feature parent company Mercedes-Benz was able to offer. No less than 10 airbags are strategically stationed throughout the cabin - two in front, four side airbags, and front and rear windowbags. The brakes are antilock with loads of other electronic enhancements (ESP, ASR, SBC, BA). Look closely at the front brakes and you'll see two separate sets of calipers on each disc. Well, it is a heavy car after all.

If you desire more than just the car, Mercedes-Benz has a large range of Maybach accessories available to the discerning buyer. Made to measure luggage, cigar humidors, golf bags - even sterling silver champagne flutes are on the options list. It's all a question of how much you want to pay.

Prices for the Maybach 57 and 62 models are set in Euros at roughly E310,000 and E360,000 respectively. Landed here that converts to about $890,000 for the cheap model, and $1.015million for one with the lot.

Buy a Maybach 62 and the Australian government will love you forever. Their share, in import taxes and sales taxes is roughly $350,000 - enough to buy a brand new Ferrari 360 Modena.

Wheels magazine takes you on a personal guided tour of the ultimate land yacht.

"To bring you this story, I've flown in DaimlerChrysler's 850km/h, nine-passenger Bombardier Challenger 604 executive jet, crossed the Elbe in a 41-metre, 2560kW Lurssen motor yacht and stayed in the elite, 211-year-old, $575-a-night Louis C Jacob hotel. Oh, and the following day, I drove the short-wheelbase 5.7-metre Maybach 57." (more..)

Share this article
Written byGlenn Butler
See all articles
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Cars for sale
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.

If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
Download the carsales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © CAR Group Ltd 1999-2024
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.