Mercedes-Benz’s revival of Maybach in 2003 wasn’t exactly successful; the bloated S-Class limos it sold were only bought by Jay Z and a handful of Bond villains.
Yet almost as soon as Mercedes pulled the plug on Maybach in 2012, rumors of its return as a proper Rolls-Royce and Bentley competitor began to circulate.
The latest news on that story comes from Reuters, which reports that a new Maybach model could appear as early as the 2014 Los Angeles and Guangzhou auto shows in November.
The car will reportedly be a more-exclusive version of the recently-redesigned S-Class, with a wheelbase that is over 7.0 inches longer than the longest S-Class’ and will cost twice as much as the current S600.
It seems logical that the new Maybach will use the S600’s 6.0-liter twin-trubocharged V12, which produces 523 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque in that land yacht.
What else Mercedes will do to justify the price premium is unclear. The company leaned heavily on exclusivity with the last Maybach, but that wasn’t enough to cover up its shortcomings when compared to the less-expensive S-Class, let alone models from Rolls and Bentley.
The Maybach won’t even be the most exclusive S-Class model.
Mercedes will apparently also unveil an S-Class Pullman limousine, with a wheelbase even longer than that of the new Maybach.
Designed to take on the old 600 Pullman’s role as the preferred transportation of heads of state, the new Pullman will reportedly cost over $1 million in fully-armored form. Kim Jong-un has probably put a deposit down already.
