Maybach 57 and 62: the reborn brand’s flagships

The Maybach 57 and 62 were the first cars of the Maybach brand after DaimlerChrysler revived it in 2002. They were one model in two lengths — 5.70 and 6.20 metres, hence the numbers — built on a reworked Mercedes-Benz S-Class platform and priced against Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

Maybach 57 and 62 at a glance

History of the Maybach 57 and 62

Revival and launch

The 57 and 62 grew out of the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept shown at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show. The production cars used a heavily reengineered version of the W140 S-Class platform, with the electronic architecture of the later W220, and were meant to be the most luxurious cars of their time, with the emphasis on the rear seats. The 57 was seen as more likely to be owner-driven, the 62 as a chauffeur car. To launch the 62, a car in a glass case left Southampton on the Queen Elizabeth 2 on 26 June 2002; the ship reached New York on 2 July and a helicopter lifted the car onto the dock before it was driven to the Regent Hotel on Wall Street.

The S versions

The Maybach 57 S was revealed at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, S standing for Spezial. Its 6.0-litre V12 came from Mercedes-AMG with 612 PS and 1,000 N·m, and the car sat 13 mm lower on 20-inch wheels; the top speed rose from 250 to 275 km/h while the 62 S stayed limited to 250 km/h. A 2010 facelift took the S engine to 630 PS. Of the 57 S, 503 pre-facelift and 164 facelifted cars were built.

Zeppelin, Landaulet and coupé

In 2009 Daimler added the Zeppelin edition to the 57 S and 62 S, limited to 100 cars with 640 PS, special leather, chrome wheels and a perfume dispenser on the options list; the long version started at €560,000. The Landaulet of 2008 was a 62 S with a fabric roof over the rear compartment; 21 were built to order. The two-door 57 S Coupé was converted by Xenatec from 2011 at €675,000 before tax.

Why it ended

Sales never matched the plans. About 500 Maybachs were sold worldwide in 2004, 41 of them in Germany, and in 2010 only 157 cars were delivered against 2,711 Rolls-Royces. Critics called the design an inflated S-Class. Daimler planned to stop production in mid-2013, cancelled the 2013 model year and built the last car on 17 December 2012; 234 cars were delivered that year, and about 3,000 in total since 2002.

Design and features

• Rear-seat luxury: 14-way power rear seats, massage, cooling, folding tables, a refrigerator and a partition.
• Two climate zones per end: separate front and rear systems combine into four-zone climate control.
• Bose sound: a 21-speaker premium system was standard, along with rear DVD screens and a rearview camera.
• AirMatic Dual Control: air springs with adaptive damping and an extra spring-rate adjustment.
• Personalisation: 17 paint colours (one or two-tone), six interior colours and three wood choices.

Maybach 57 and 62 versions

• 57 (2002–2012): the short car, 1,104 built.
• 57 S (2005–2012): 6.0-litre AMG V12, 612 PS, 20-inch wheels, 275 km/h.
• 62 (2002–2012): the long chauffeur version with a partition and extra rear equipment.
• 62 S (2006–2012): the S drivetrain in the long body, limited to 250 km/h.
• Zeppelin (2009–2012): 640 PS special edition of 100 cars.
• Landaulet (2008–2013): 62 S with an opening fabric roof over the rear, 21 built.

The Exelero show car was built on the 57 platform, and the 2009 special edition borrowed its name from the pre-war Maybach Zeppelin. More cars are in the Maybach collection.

Video: 2007 Maybach 57 S Start Up, Exhaust, and In Depth Tour

Video on YouTube.

Sources

• Maybach 57 and 62, English Wikipedia: engines, performance, variants, launch
• Maybach 57 und 62, German Wikipedia: sales, prices, Zeppelin, Landaulet, coupé
• Maybach 57 et 62, French Wikipedia: dimensions, equipment, prices
• Maybach W240, Italian Wikipedia: development, interior, model codes