BMW and Mercedes seem to always be caught up playing a game of "anything you can do, I can do better", so shortly after BMW's über-luxury brand Rolls-Royce announced it's extending the range down-market, Maybach is following suite.
The confirmation of the "baby Maybach" came from the very top: DaimlerChyrsler chairman Dr. Dieter Zetsche, who verified the new limo would be ready within four years, though the definitive decision has not yet been made over whether the new car will carry the three-pointed star (extending the Mercedes range up-market) or the double-M (broadening the Maybach range down-market). The smart money's on the Maybach, though, as the S-Class has always been Mercedes' range-topping luxury sedan.
Like BMW, whose line-up has a huge gap between the $120k 760Li and the $330k RR Phantom, Mercedes-Benz has nothing to cover the $200k-range left vacant in between the $140k S600 and the $335k Maybach 57. Currently, Bentley (owned by their mutual rival VW/Audi group) has the field to itself with the $165k Continental Flying Spur and $220k Arnage sedans.
The awkward Maybach range hasn't been quite the success DaimlerChrysler had been hoping for, so it'll be interesting to see how they do with a new quarter-million-dollar sedan.
[Source: Auto Express]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DJ @ Oct 15th 2006 1:47PM
The currently almost empty $175,000 to $250,000 ultra-luxe sedan range is going to become very crowded in the next few years. Not only will you have the aforementioned baby Roller and baby 'bach, but the Porsche Panamera, Aston-Martin Rapide, a higher end Maserati Quattroporte and a rumored uber-Cadillac will join the Bentley's party of two. Thank God there's enough Google stock to go around to buy all of these....
duderino @ Oct 15th 2006 2:34PM
i hope the "baby" tag wont shy people away from them out of fear of not haveing the alpha car but i hope these two are successful
Andrew @ Oct 15th 2006 5:03PM
"Mercedes-Benz has nothing to cover the $200k-range left vacant in between the $140k S600 and the $335k Maybach 57"
It's really not that wide of a spread. The S65, SL65, and CL65 AMGs start in the $180K's. Probably only about $100K between the most loaded AMG and the "base" Maybach. That's still a big difference, of course.
Don T. @ Oct 16th 2006 9:42AM
I want my babybach babybach babybach.
LOV3LAZ @ Oct 17th 2006 10:55AM
Why they won't do EXELERO?
big L @ Nov 22nd 2006 12:08PM
4 Don Maybach...Be bach soon, Offenbach sooner...