The sluggish sales of the Mercedes-Benz-owned uber-premium Maybach might turn out to be spark needed to ignite a whole new and attractive future for this old and refined brand.
Instead of a complete setback, latest reports suggest that top executives of the management board of Daimler AG have decided to give it another go (or try, as you like it) in the case of Maybach-Manufaktur. With the future W 222 S-Klasse prone to arrive at the end of 2012, the luxurious brand could face an unexpected, bright outcome. According Joachim Schmidt, the sales and marketing boss of Daimler, the future lineup of Maybach could spawn up to 5 different models. Moreover, designers have received the difficult task of cleverly setting up a new styling philosophy for the new Maybach models. We definitely have to keep our wits about this stuff, as an insider suggests they will be "jewels on wheels and at last worthy of the brand", thus quoting members of the design team.
The new lineup could consist of generation replacements for the 57 and 62 models, as well as a possible 2-door coupe based on the 57 version and a 4-door coupe, or even a cabriolet model, inspired by the 4-door canvas-top Ocean Drive Concept presented back in 2006. Expect also powerful S variants and, probably, a full-hybrid version, able to ensure an autonomy of approximately 50 km in electric-only mode. The powertrain will come straight from the 2013 S-Klasse, while the engine offer will stick to the traditional 6.0 litres V12 powerplants in two output configurations: 545 BHP and 630 BHP. However, there's still plenty of waiting to endure, as no new Maybach models are planned to be released before 2013.
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