Maybach

2000 December: Mercedes Benz's luxury car, the Maybach, begins road tests. The car has a V12 engine with twin turbo-chargers. Air suspension gives a smooth ride. The top model has "an overall length of approximately six metres", a shorter wheelbase model will be available "on request".

The Mercedes Benz Maybach (left) was displayed as a concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1997. It received the development go-ahead in 1998. The `Maybach' name is after the designer Wilhelm Maybach (1846-1929) an associate of Gottlieb Daimler. The car is a Rolls-Royce competitor, topping even the Mercedes S-class.

The Maybach is big, 5.77m long, that is 61cm longer than the LWB S-class, nearly a metre longer than the E-class. The simple lines disguise the car's size unless there is something to compare it to directly. The engine is a 6-litre V12. There is going to be a chauffeur up front, with the owner reclining in comfort in the back - wood, leather trim, tinted glass, bar and drink cooler. Entertainment (or possibly work) gadgets include a computer, 20" LCD TV, video equipment, radio and CD.

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