Maybach is a name with a high standing and an even higher price, reports John Griffiths
The Maybach 62 has more in common with Zeppelin airships from the 1920s and 1930s than simply looking like a smaller version on wheels. Zeppelins, as well as the aristocratic Maybach cars of the period, were powered by Maybach engines. There was even a car called the Maybach Zeppelin, which Adolf Hitler presented as a gift to an Indian maharajah. Maybach, in short, was a name to be reckoned with.
The last car of that generation was built just before the second World War by Karl Maybach, whose father Wilhelm had partnered Gottlieb Daimler in founding Germany's car industry.
So when Jürgen Hubbert, then chief of Mercedes-Benz cars, decided in 2002 that it was "time to kiss the sleeping beauty awake" even some colleagues felt it was pushing things a bit on the heritage front.
Since then, a degree of realism has crept in. Ian Grover, in charge of the Maybach brand in the UK, says: "We'll never compete on that front with Rolls-Royce and Bentley. We have to let the cars talk for themselves."
This they do eloquently. They say: "If you want to own me, give Mercedes-Benz lots of money - €693,000 will do nicely." Even the Rolls-Royce Phantom costs only two-thirds of that.
Indeed, when it comes to pricing, the Maybach is truly up in the stratosphere.
On top of the above figure, you'll need a chauffeur, as most Maybach 62 owners would not dream of getting behind the wheel themselves.
If you can afford it, this is one monster of a car - more than 20ft long (the "62" stands for 6.2m) - and with a mighty V12 engine possessing 550bhp. Progress is reminiscent of a jet airliner on take-off with discreet but formidable thrust. The sense of hidden power is not deceptive. For all its bulk, it will reach 100km/h in five seconds, the same as an Aston Martin DB9.
However, only when the owner and one other climb into the back (there really is only room for two, by design) does the 62's unique selling point become clear. Its interior has the space expected by habitual first-class airline fliers.
Had a long, hard day? Then slide into the Maybach's armchair of a seat. It's the closest thing to a bed on wheels. The ambience is unique, which is partly down to the electro-transparent panoramic glass roof, an option that everybody buys. At the flick of a switch it becomes clear like a conservatory roof. At night, it is subtly backlit. The effect is hugely appealing.
Thanks to parent company DaimlerChrysler's technological resources, the on-board toys are all cutting-edge and there's a highly effective, electronically controlled air suspension system.
But for all its pleasures the car is not without its flaws. One relates to styling. DaimlerChrysler executives like to think of it as the ultimate in discretion, sitting behind its sloping, unimposing grille. Others - blasphemy - have suggested that it looks like a cross between a Mercedes and a Daewoo.
The Maybach's biggest problem, however, is depreciation.
This is a car that can lose €200,000 of its value after three years - enough to buy outright a Bentley Arnage. There is also a "smaller" Maybach, the 57, which is more sporty, and much more likely than the 62 to be driven by its owner.
- The Financial Times serviceHOW GOOD: the ultimate in luxury land-bound travel for two. Unrivalled legroom, seats-cum-beds, mobile office, individual DVD entertainment.
Factfile
HOW MUCH:€693,000-plus for Maybach 62, depending on extras; In Britain you will pay £267,000 for the smaller 57 model. But budget for chauffeur on top.
HOW FAST:more than enough for three-tonnes plus, thank you: 0-62mph 5.4 secs, max speed (limited) 250km/h.
HOW THIRSTY:if you need to know you can't begin to afford one. But it's 16.1 L/100km on the standard EU combined urban/rural test cycle.