The Ten Best Concepts of the Decade #3: Maybach Exelero
The Exelero was the opposite of the revived Maybach line: creative, daunting, and outlandish. The brand was a forgotten prewar luxury marque on par with the Duesenberg and the Rolls. Beautiful as though its coachbuilt pieces were, Maybach never captured the global imagination. Postwar, the nameplate vanished till Daimler-Chrysler brought it back in the 2000s. The Exelero was an ‘05 showpiece meant to draw and impress Euro crowds. It did its job, with a gothic pizazz and a menacing 700 hp twin-turbo V-12. Promoters flaunted the car’s tremendous weight (nearly 6,000 lbs.) and even more massive price tag–$1,000,000. The Exelero was just too out there for the conservative Daimler folks, though. They stuck with stale and overdone S-classes as their Maybachs, rather than something that would stand out. The Exelero was never realistic, or sensible. But it wasn’t supposed to be. In that, it was faithful to the Maybachs of old.
“A Point of Historical Interest” by Mark Vaughn
On this date 20 years ago in Berlin, some minor East German Communist party leader named Günter Schabowski was giving a press conference. The party is adapting to the needs of the people, he was saying, the party responds to the needs of the people, blah blah blah. And, oh yeah, pretty much anyone who wants to can go to West Berlin whenever they feel like it. When an Italian reporter in the press room asked Schabowski when this policy was to go into effect he famously replied, “Immediately.”
Video: Mercedes SLS AMG Test Run
The SLS is supposed to holler back to the revered 300SL Gullwing from the 1950s. Whether or not the SLS lives up to its ancestor’s status is yet to be seen. What we can see is an official test run at Germany’s most famous race track, thanks to YouTube.
Pagani Brings Us…Another Zonda
Horacio Pagani’s namesake, though relatively unknown to the masses, has caught the imagination and desire of many an American auto enthusiast. The latest version of the Zonda, the Cinque, furthers the proven supercar formula with less weight and more propulsion.
To keep the millionaire clientele interested, Pagani’s put the Zonda Cinque in open-top form. Structural rigidity has been preserved with a strengthened titanium/carbon composite chassis. That added reinforcement is needed: the Mercedes 7.3 L V-12 delivers a whopping 678 hp. (Keep in mind those horses only have to push a car weighing under 2,700 lbs.)
Sixty’s hit in less than three and half seconds, and top speed is claimed at 217 mph. Like the Cinque coupe before it, the Roadster will be limited to five examples and retail at around €800,000.
Turn a Mountain into a Crater: Mercedes’s Ungodly S65 AMG
Mercedes has released detailed stats and images of its mightiest four-door ever: the S65 AMG. The S-class is the Mercedes brand’s largest saloon, and is accompanied with its top-of-the-line features and technology. With the entry of the twin-turbo AMG 6.0 L V-12, Mercedes has produced the most stunning factory luxo-sport to ever hit the road.
Weekend Rant: Visual Appreciation
It’s not easy being beautiful. Take it from someone who knows. I frequently have to deal with women’s gasps and cries. In fact, I’ve even been handed restraining orders because my looks are a cause of too much temptation. (That’s not what the documents said, but that’s the truth behind ‘em.)
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder–except in my case, since my beauty is unquestionable. I am appreciative that in our present day, automotive design has come to a point of such creativity to appeal to anyone’s taste.
Maybach Future Hanging in the Balance
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Looks like the VW Phaeton won’t be the only stupid move the Germans make in luxury. The premium-class Maybach marque has failed to make the desired splash on the global luxury scene. The Maybach marque originated in Germany after World War I, but was retired at the start of World War II. Daimler-Chrysler opted to bring back the nameplate to tackle VW’s Bentley and BMW’s Rolls divisions. Well that hasn’t worked out so well; inspite of new alterations and an upcoming grand “Zeppelin” trim download house of wax download spy game divx , Maybach has become more stale than bread at a dollar store. Unless Maybach can make a big push into Asian markets, the brand will be dropped early in the new decade.
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