Maybach order book opens

THE first hand has been dealt by Mercedes-Benz in what is shaping up as a fierce and expensive battle for supremacy at the very pinnacle of the world car industry.

Now on sale in Europe is Benz's Maybach, a name reborn by the German giant after a 60-year hiatus specifically to take on BMW-owned Rolls-Royce and VW-owned Bentley in the ultra-luxury long-wheelbase market.

The two Maybach variants - the 57 and 62 - will not be seen in Australia until the second half of 2003, but Mercedes-Benz Australia has opened the order book anyway.

Get in quick with your 50,000 Euros (about $80,000) and you should be one of around 10 customers handed the keys by a Maybach personal liaison manager in 2003.

If $80,000 sounds like a lot of money, then you are not in the market for a Maybach. The 57 - dare we call it the base model - will retail for about $850,000 and the 62 for about $950,000. But final Australian pricing is to be confirmed closer to the sales launch and will depend very much on individual customer requirements anyway.

Benz says demand is sure to exceed supply, which helps explain why competition in this end of the market is heating up as the number of multi-millionaires worldwide continues to blossom. The total market is estimated at around 9000-12,000 sales annually, with Benz aiming to capture about 1000 of them.

While the Maybach will be first onto the scene, BMW's first Rolls-Royce will be revealed in 2003 and Bentley will launch a smaller sportier model next year and is also working on a replacement for the Arnage limousine.

The Maybach's model names, incidentally, derive from the length of the two cars. The 57 is 5.73 metres long and the 62 is 6.17 metres. Maybach itself was a well known German luxury marque between the world wars, the rights to the name eventually falling into the hands of Benz.

All Maybachs will get motive power supplied by a new 5.5-litre V12 twin-turbo engine, which pumps out 405kW and a monstrous 900Nm of torque.

Also standard are Benz-sourced technologies like electronically controlled AIRMATIC DC (Dual Control) air suspension and the electro-hydraulic Twin Sensotronic Brake Control.

From there, the sky's the limit with Benz promising that only the highest quality materials for the interior are used, along with a host of techno gadgetry as standard equipment including TV tuner, DVD player, CD changer, telephone and a Dolby surround sound system.

Exclusive to the 62 are newly developed individual seats in the rear, which at the touch of a button can be adjusted into a reclining position, with extending leg and footrests. A refrigerated compartment in the rear, tilting/sliding sunroof and a two-tone paint finish for the bodywork are all available at no extra cost.

The Maybach will also introduce a new retailing concept for Benz, with customers assigned a personal liaison manager (PLM) who will assist them with any questions about the car. And each vehicle will be manufactured based on specific customer requirements after styling and fittings discussions with the PLM and Maybach designers and engineers.

DaimlerChrysler is currently setting up the Centre of Excellence at its Sindelfingen site in Germany, in the immediate vicinity of the Maybach Manufaktur facility. This will be at the heart of the Maybach brand and is where Maybach customers will be offered comprehensive help and advice.

Maybach centres will also be established in Europe, the Middle East, Japan, Hong Kong and the US.