|
Price |
|
€406,000 & €473,200 |
Production |
|
100 |
|
Engine |
6
liter V12 |
Weight |
-- |
|
Aspiration |
twin
turbocharger |
Torque |
-- |
|
HP |
640
hp |
HP/Weight |
-- |
|
HP/Liter |
106.7 hp per liter |
1/4 mile |
-- |
|
0-62 mph |
5.1
seconds (57) |
Top Speed |
171
mph (electronically limited) |
(from Maybach Press
Release) The new Maybach Zeppelin: The reincarnation of an
automotive legend
Stuttgart – The Maybach
brand is bringing out the new Maybach Zeppelin to spearhead its
luxury saloon model range. The newcomer represents the absolute
zenith in the high-end luxury saloon segment. This makes it a worthy
successor to the legendary Maybach Zeppelin, which was revered
worldwide as the ultimate in high-class automotive engineering in
the 1930s. The hallmark features of the new Maybach flagship’s
unique sense of style include a stunning paint finish, featuring a
shoulderline in a contrasting colour, as well as the exquisite,
meticulously crafted materials in the interior, whose long list of
optional extras includes a world first – a highly sophisticated
perfume atomiser. The new model's performance outclasses the rest of
the Maybach range, making it the most powerful Maybach ever. In a
nutshell: the Maybach Zeppelin epitomises stylish elegance and
vehicle manufacture as no car has ever done before. The new Maybach
Zeppelin is being built in a limited edition of 100 worldwide.
A Maybach brochure
dating from 1930 clearly sets out the firm’s stall: “To create only
the very best from the very best – a car that fulfils every last
wish and stands out for its supremely refined elegance and power.”
At that time, Karl Maybach had developed a luxury car, the likes of
which had never been seen before. Maybach derived the design of its
mighty twelve-cylinder drive unit from the same engine he had
developed to power the daring airships of aviation pioneer Ferdinand
Graf von Zeppelin. Inspired by the Count’s visionary personality, he
christened Germany’s first ever series-production twelve-cylinder
car “Zeppelin”, and offered it to a highly discerning (and solvent)
clientele with a displacement of either seven or eight litres (150
hp or 200 hp).
Even today, the name
“Zeppelin” has an incomparable ring to it in the realm of high-end
luxury cars. As the flagship model in today’s range of Maybach
Saloons, the new Maybach Zeppelin does justice to its branding. The
name is not merely intended to rekindle memories, after all: as in
bygone times, Maybach is once again building the Maybach Zeppelin
for distinguished drivers who are seeking something extra special,
even in this most luxurious of automotive segments. Not only do the
Maybach 57 Zeppelin and Maybach 62 Zeppelin stand out for their
exquisite elegance, inventive ideas and phenomenal performance.
Yet greater power for the Maybach
Zeppelin
The Maybach 57 S and the
long-wheelbase version, the 62 S, serve as the technical basis for
the new range-topping model. Supreme performance is assured in both
cases by the 6.0-litre V12 biturbo power unit under the bonnet,
which has been further refined by Mercedes-AMG and now delivers 471
kW/640 hp (+ 28 hp) and an electronically limited peak torque of
1000 Newton metres. The models’ extra-special status is documented
in befitting fashion by a plaque in the engine compartment, which is
engraved with the inscription “MAYBACH ZEPPELIN – ONE OF 100”. If
the customer so wishes, a reference to their vehicle’s limited
nature can be included in the passenger compartment too.
Needless to say that both versions of the Maybach Zeppelin have
extraordinary performance capabilities. The decidedly sporty Maybach
57 Zeppelin for owners who enjoy taking the wheel themselves races
to 100 km/h from standstill in 4.9 seconds and attains an
electronically governed top speed of 275 km/h. The Maybach 62
Zeppelin, which is conceived first and foremost as a
chauffeur-driven car, completes the 0 - 100 km/h sprint in 5.1
seconds and has a limited top speed of 250 km/h.
A two-tone exterior identifies the
new Maybach flagship
Whatever angle it is
viewed from, the new Maybach Zeppelin radiates character and the
sort of style which appeals to all the senses. From the outside, the
luxury brand’s new top-of-the-range model can be recognised by its
two-tone special paint finish which is applied in a long series of
steps. The shoulderline is painted right through to the background
of the headlamp assemblies in Rocky Mountains light brown, forming a
stylish and scintillating contrast to the Taiga black finish used
for the rest of the vehicle body while reinforcing the impression of
three-dimensionality too. Naturally, customers may also specify any
other paint finish of their choice for their Maybach Zeppelin. Dark
red tail light units and a fine vertical partition in the tailpipe
add striking visual touches at the rear.
The Maybach's newly
designed elegant 20-inch wheels in a Chrome Shadow finish complete
the picture. These were first painted with a black undercoat, before
having a silver topcoat applied using an elaborate painting process
that causes the tone to gradually increase in darkness from the
outside in.
The streamlined exterior
mirrors, which produce even less wind noise, are new to Maybach.
They have a more angular design and are separated from the door
frame by a slender arm, giving them a more expressive look. They
also feature an enlarged mirror surface together with integral
indicators in the shape of a horizontal “V” for even greater
perceptual safety.
The curving “ZEPPELIN”
lettering that appears below the distinctive double “M” emblem on
the radiator grille and on the boot lid instantly gives away the
elite status of the Maybach Zeppelin.
Finest-quality leather and
high-gloss piano lacquer trim
The new Maybach Zeppelin
is a car for connoisseurs, as is immediately apparent from its
interior. Here, the luxurious leather appointments in California
beige leather form a delightful contrast with the exclusive leather
in deep Stromboli black that gives added impact to the shoulderline
on the inside too – elegantly mirroring the exterior’s colour scheme
in the process. At the same time, the lustrous deep black tone of
the leather harmonises beautifully with the exquisite piano lacquer
finish of the trim elements. The precisely crafted contrasting
topstitching in the dashboard and on the doors reinforces the
Maybach Zeppelin’s sense of dynamism. The unusual diamond quilting
pattern on the seat cushions and backrests together with the black
piping gives the opulently styled seats a character all of their
own. The occupants’ feet rest on genuine lambskin carpeting.
The limited-edition
special models bear a number of discreet identifying markings in the
interior too. The centre console in the front, the partition screen
that is available as an option for the Maybach Zeppelin 62, plus the
silver champagne flutes included as standard are all marked with the
lettering “MAYBACH ZEPPELIN”, while the door sill panels as well as
the key ring are engraved with the word “ZEPPELIN”.
World first – a system for a fine
interior fragrance
Customers are also able
to opt for an especially refined equipment detail that is exclusive
to the Maybach Zeppelin – an imaginatively designed, extremely
high-quality perfume atomiser, the only one of its kind in the
world. It easily eclipses all previous efforts to produce something
similar, both in terms of its visual appeal and its operation. Its
sophisticated technology and premium fragrances create a unique
aromatic experience in the Maybach Zeppelin’s interior at the push
of a button – stimulating the senses of the occupants not with an
overpowering perfume but with a soft, delicate scent.
The system’s core
component is an internally illuminated Plexiglass sphere on the rear
centre console, into which Maybach Zeppelin owners can insert a vial
of their preferred fragrance. Underneath the sphere’s base, which is
finished in piano lacquer, there is a dedicated regulator pump. At
the push of a button, this compressor draws in pre-purified from the
vehicle’s interior and directs it into the Plexiglass sphere in a
gentle stream. The airstream passes through four apertures in the
top of the vial’s cap, allowing it to carry perfume molecules from
the tip of the cap into the vehicle interior. Air which has been
suitably purified by the vehicle’s own climate control system also
flows out of a ventilation outlet at the bottom of the sphere,
thereby helping to distribute the scented air throughout the
passenger compartment.
The ingenious control understands
the human sense of smell
The perfume atomiser can
be activated either from the driver’s seat or by means of a button
in the rear centre console, with an additional thumbwheel in the
rear for sensitive aroma control. The chosen fragrance gently wafts
into the passenger compartment within ten to twelve seconds. On
models with a partition screen, only the passengers in the rear are
able to activate the atomiser.
The aroma experts took
the human sense of smell into consideration when designing the
control mechanism. As the nose adjusts to smells in such a way that
it no longer perceives them after a short while, the perfume
atomiser switches off after about ten minutes to prevent the
occupants’ sense of smell from being overwhelmed to the point where
they can no longer enjoy the fine aroma. Once the system has
switched off, the fragrance quickly evaporates. Thanks to the
sophisticated control and the high-quality perfumes used, the
fragrance does not seep into either the interior’s materials or the
occupants’ clothes.
Reactivating the
atomiser later allows the aromatic experience to be enjoyed all over
again.
Artistic, hand-blown vials and
specially developed fragrances
The system comes
supplied with two select fragrances, which have been exclusively
developed for the Maybach by a renowned perfumer from global
specialist Givaudan: one light and refreshing, the other woodier,
richer and heavier, making it an ideal complement to the interior of
the Maybach Zeppelin. The foundation for the latter is agar, the
most expensive wood in the world, which is burned in the Japanese
‘ko-do’ incense ceremony.
Maybach Zeppelin owners
can also use other fragrances, or even have one specially developed
and enjoy the luxury of immersing themselves in their very own,
personally designed aroma. The fragrance holders are easily
interchangeable, allowing owners to quickly switch between two or
even three scents to suit their mood, fashion, style or sense of
wellbeing, for instance. The specification includes a total of three
valuable vials, which are hand-blown by a well-known glass artist.
The elaborate,
silent-running perfume atomiser system is a patented Maybach
innovation that was developed in-house.
The Maybach 57 Zeppelin
costs €406,000, the Maybach 62 Zeppelin has a price tag of €473,200
(German list price, excl. VAT). The perfume atomiser that is
exclusive to the Maybach Zeppelin can be ordered for an extra €3950
(German list price, excl. VAT).
The new Maybach Zeppelin
goes on sale on 3 March 2009, with the first models due to be
delivered to customers in September 2009.
