Maybach Zeppelin Revealed Ahead Of Geneva Coronation

Maybach is reincarnating the Zeppelin badge for its floundering reincarnated luxury brand. The Maybach Zeppelin, set for a 2009 Geneva Motor Show debut, is the crème de la crème de la crème. More »

Maybach 62S Landaulet: Buy It Now On EBay For Just $2.2 Million

Yes, the Maybach 62S Landaulet is obnoxiously luxurious. With that rollback canvas roof, it offers conspicuous consumption on a Citigroup-like level, but $2.2 million as a "Buy it now" eBay price is a bit steep. More »

Nice Price Or Crack Pipe: The $3,500,000 Maybach SW38 Roadster?

You're a hard-to-please bunch, with only 17% of you opining that the $50,000 Porsche 928 was nicely priced. Today we're going with a much, much cooler vintage German machine… at 70 times the price! More »

Nice Price Or Crack Pipe: 2004 Maybach 57 For $129,900?

Last time we chose between the gold bars and Booth Numbah Two, the $15,500 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL grabbed a stunning 90% rating on the Crack-Pipe-O-Meter™. The global economy is taking body blow after body blow, which you'd think would knock the price of high-end used cars down to Prole Territory… but such is not the case with this 2004 Maybach 57. It's out of warranty, it's got 32,000 miles, and it's a manufacturer buyback car (as the seller puts it: "MAYBACH HAD BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE FROM THE OWNER UPON LEMON LAW AND THEN COMPLETELY FIXED THE PROBLEM. SO YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO WORRIES AT ALL!!")… and it's priced at $129,900. The Maybach 57 is a helluva car, and you'll pay way over 300 grand for a new one; do you think this is a Nice Price for an '04? More »

The Sun: Arab Sheiks Causing Air Pollution By Making Chauffeurs Endlessly Drive Around Harrods

In an investigation that will no doubt redefine investigative journalism, UK tabloid The Sun has found rich foreigners, mostly of the Arab variety, pay people to drive them to Harrods in luxury vehicles to go shopping. But the hard work of The Sun's sure-to-be Pullitzer Prize-winning reporter Alex West doesn't end there. The full details on The Sun's thinly-veiled anti-foreigner screed below the jump. More »

P. Diddy Involved In Very Expensive Fender Bender

Looks like Sean Combs went and got into a little bit of a multi-vehicle accident, resulting in some very high-priced steel getting bent out of shape in the process. At the very least, a Rolls Royce Phantom and a Mercedes Benz Maybach were involved, along with a few, ahem, lesser vehicles. And... that's about it as far as the details currently available. Seems pretty low-speed, so other than the Diddster looking at some lofty repair bills, nobody is worse for the wear. [TMZ]

Maybach 62 Landaulet Goes Into Production Because We Said It Wouldn't

There's a great moment in All The President's Men (and repeated in the autobiography A Good Life) where Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee explains how he was the reason for J. Edgar Hoover not getting canned by LBJ:

Once when I was reporting, Lyndon Johnson's top guy gave me the word they were looking for a successor to J. Edgar Hoover. I wrote it and the day it appeared Johnson called a press conference and appointed Hoover head of the FBI for life... And when he was done, he turned to his top guy and the President said, "Call Ben Bradlee and tell him fuck you."

What does this have to do with the Maybach 62 Landaulet going into production? Everything. More »

Rustam Mamedov is Angry With Us

Back in 2007, we posted what we thought to be a request to order an armored Maybach 62 for the President of Azerbaijan. Turns out our cotomer sevis really is that bad. Mr Mamedov sent us what we assume to be an angry letter letting us know that we are silly for transferring such information to the internet, and that something is repeatedly strange. He made sure to let us know that the car was for him and we shouldn't rely on the notoriously incorrect Google for our sleuthing. On behalf of our cotomer sevis department, we apologize and hope that in the future, we can help to not arrange for the purchase of armored Maybah 62's more accurately in the future. Strongly, and repeatedly worded email after the jump. More »

Rolls-Royce Phantom

For generations, Rolls-Royces were the automotive equivalent of a white wedding dress. Pretty, but who you trying to fool, honey? Yes, the badge said Rolls-Royce, but wink-wink, nudge, nudge, Elton John covered his in rhinestones, but come on — they weren't very good cars. Sure, we'd love to get our mits on a Phantom IV. Or better yet, a Camargue! But even then you're talking 189 hp from a 6.75-liter V8 coupled to a GM 3-speed autobox. Woo frigging hoo. And at least the Camargue was kinda nifty looking. Most Rollers are frumpy, bulgy looking things. But they had a lot of leather and walnut and wool and odds are you weren't doing the driving anyhow, so did it really matter that the emperor was wearing little more than a pair of speedos? To BMW it did. More »

Brabus-Tuned Maybach 57 Hits 205 mph in Nardo

There's a record for everything, though not every one gets equal weight among the record watchers. Take, for example, the title of Fastest and Most Exclusive Luxury Sedan. Show up at the Guinness doorstep with that belt, and they'll send you packing along with the guy sporting the world's largest buttocks-region carbuncle. Nonetheless, Mercedes tuning shop Brabus is still proud of its latest Maybach tweaker, a 57 that hit 205.2 mph on Italy's Nardo test track this week. Under the long, Maybachian bonnet is the same 730-horsepower 6.3-liter biturbo powerplant developed for the Brabus Rocket Mercedes CLS, which hit 227 mph on Nardo a year ago this month. What's more, adrenalin-addicted plutocrats can be transported to the M&A negotiations in style, swaddled in an interior of lambs' wool, Alcantara and an organic polymer made from a blend of Lemur penis and the downy fluff of newborn oven-stuffer roasters. Or something. More »

Commenter of the Day: Fighting Absurdity with Absurdity Edition

I was chatting up with the Postfather today about the quality of our readers versus the quality of readers on another car-themed site that is going to remain oh so nameless. Spin thought the other site wasn't so bad, to which I replied, "Our guys look like a Wittgenstein forum stacked side by side." Our conversation then devolved into:

[13:55] Loverman: l0l wtF!?

More »

Maybach 62 Landaulet Design Study

Take one underperforming super-luxury car brand, create an eye-catching design study with historical significance, and watch the world's ultra-rich flock to its contracting sales network. It's not as easy as that, but Maybach's not giving up without a fight. Thus, the Daimler brand's designers have created this one-off Landaulet concept as an homage to landaulets past. That means the roof over the passenger compartment slides back, revealing the sky to the beluga-addled captain of industry within. Look for it at the Dubai motor show this month, natch. More »

Excelero: Out!

Once again the masses have spoken. And once again I'm saddened by their voice. Not devastated or anything like that. But I really dig the buck-toothed 'Bach. But hey, that's democracy for you. So, the extreme dream machine that Maybach never deigned to build will be parking out on the street behind the Quattroporte and the Phaeton W12. Yet somehow the RUF soldiers on. C'est la vie. At least we got to hold onto the Honda. Sleep well, Excelero and we'll see you back here in 9 more weeks!

Maybach: The End Is Nigh

Billionaires the world over are bummed. That's right kids, Mercedes-Benz's ultra-luxury marketing disaster experiment is slowly but methodically getting its plug pulled. The skinny: since 2002, Maybach has sold a whopping 800 cars. Here in the United States, the world's biggest market for cars that cost more than houses, Maybach sold only 146 cars last year. And they planned on selling 600. As a result 29 of the 71 US Maybach stores will be shuttering their diamond-encrusted doors. We'll even lay better than 2-1 odds that the rest will sooner than later follow suit. Most will blame the demise of the re-birthed brand on the fact that both the 57 and 62 were essentially ugly, bloated S-Classes with $300,000 worth of options. And we won't refute that. Next time though, think of some catchier names. Who thought telling an American buyer that their half a million dollar car is called 62 because it is 6.2 meters long was a smart idea? Also, ya shoulda built the Exelero. [Motor Authority]

Maybach Exelero

Why have a Fantasy Garage if you cant induct a fantasy? That's the question we ask this week, as we nominate the Maybach Exelero show car to the devil-may-care JFG. Cars are getting better and faster every week. But few, if any, have the presence, character and sheer sinisterism of the Exelero. (For sure they have less black paint.) Designed by a student named Fredrik Burchhardt, the Exelero glistens with the kind of unpolished enthusiasm you'd expect from a kid in art school who has yet to be beaten with the savage realities of the corporate world. The meanest-ever Maybach ought to be a shoe in, and we haven't even started discussing what's beneath its glistening surface. Nor, most troubling of all, why DCX never built the sick-ass thing. More »

What Is This Mystery Mercedes Mule? The Next SLC? Maybe A Maybach Coupe?

The spy shooters of KGP happened upon a Mercedes mule of some sort on a car carrier out getting prepped for hot weather testing by a team of AMG engineers. They're of the belief it's an SLC mule, but the boys at the Road that's ever-Winding question whether maybe it's the long-rumored Maybach coupe. We're unsure of what it may be because really — there's not much for us to go on here — what're your thoughts on this here mystery Mule? [Winding Road]

Lady Madonna's Automotive Cavalcade

It's an SST/Pedro confluence day today. The prettiest girl to walk into the café all day complimented us on our Hüsker Dü t-shirt. There was that clumsy indie-era Soundgarden reference earlier. We walked by an open garage with a poster featuring a nude Madonna. And of course, San Pedro's ambassador to the world, Mike Watt played in Ciccone Youth with Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, and Steve Shelley. And now we've run across this unintentionally hilarious pean to Ms. Ciccone's various automobiles. Go forth and grin, minons. [Car's Power]

It Moves Fast: Maybach Excelero Going 218 MPH!!

Sure, they had to tape the wheels up a bit. But 218 mph makes this ringwraith looking ride as fast as an Enzo. We've known that if the car Maybach really ought to build got itself built, that the battle-tested twin-turbo V12 would make the Excelero as potent as Tom Brady's sperm. So are they gonna build it? Who knows, but the fact that the (supposed) one off not only moves, but flat out hauls, is surely great news for Billionaires the world over. As we and countless other journos have said, Maybach has to do something, and fast. And turns out this Excelero is pretty dang fast. – Jonny Lieberman More »

DEEEETROIT BASKET-BALLER! Sheed's Maybach For Sale On Dupont Registry

December's "Publisher's Choice" selection from the Dupont Registry, the "Buyers Gallery of Fine Automobiles", is a car that is "baller" in not one, but two definitions from the Urban Dictionary. That's because not only is it a strut-tastic 2004 Maybach 57 (thus fulfilling the "one whose status in society has been earned by one's possession of 'game'" definition) but also because it's a Maybach currently owned by All-Star Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace (thus fullfilling the "one who exhibits a consistent proficiency at-, or exuberant love for the game of basketball" definition). So what makes this Maybach different than all other Maybach? Well, in this Maybach, when you sit reclined, rest assured that the last owner spent a lot of time with his sweaty mesh short-ensconced butt-cheeks wrapped in that leather comfort. Oh, and you get a signed basketball. – Ray Wert More »

Deliver My Mother******* Maybach, Bitch: Samuel L. Jackson Gets a 57 S

As they say in the automotive industry, as goes Samuel L. Jackson, so goes the motherfucking country. That's why Maybach is promoting Jackson's recent purchase of a Maybach 57 S, personalized with special paint, refrigerator, silver tumblers, champagne glasses and folding tables for when company drops the fuck over. The limo's also been fitted with a solar roof panel that runs a goddamn ventilation and temperature control system. Jackson ordered the car from the motherfucking Maybach Centre of Excellence in Stuttgart. – Mike Spinelli More »

LA Auto Show Bomb-Digity: Maybach Says, "We're Still Dumb"

Jalopnik would like to express our deepest condolences to all the billionaires out there. Oh, how they must surely be suffering. Mercedes-Benz's Maybach brand, despite selling fewer than 300 cars a year and having their ascots handed to them by BMW's Rolls Royce Phantom in terms of gangsta desirability, will not give in to the insatiable haunting hotness that is the Excelero. The company is flat refusing to build what to our eyes is one of the most stunning automotive designs of the past few decades. They're just teasing us, man! What is up with that? Don't they know that the Rolls 101EX coupe is coming? It's like having a nuclear bomb and not using it. Maybach — push the damn button! – Jonny Lieberman More »

People's Republic of Maybach: The New 62S

Considering China's new cultural revolution — that of billionaires suctioning acres of cash out of the People's rise in wealth — it's no surprise Maybach would choose the Auto China 2006 show in Beijing to introduce its latest high-end limousine, the 62S. The new model will get the same AMG-tuned, 612 hp, 6.0-liter biturbo V12 as the 57S, but is meant to be driven by staff. That means the rear passenger area's just a bit more luxe, with redesigned leather accouterments and trimmings in piano lacquer and carbon or anthracite poplar finishes. No word on how many peasants will undergo forced relocation to make room for a parking space. [Gallery] – Mike Spinelli More »

A Smaller Maybach or a Bigger Benz?

If you were Mercedes-Benz and you wanted to attack the $150,000 to $200,000 market, would you build a more luxe S-Class, or a smaller Maybach? According to Richard Yarrow of The Car Connection, DaimlerChrysler's Dr. Z-is-for-Zetsche says he feels no pressure to make that decision anytime soon. If you'll recall, Rolls-Royce recently confirmed it was heading slightly downmarket from the Phantom, to produce a new line of sedans to rival the Bentley Arnage. Mercedes has considerable space between the top S-Class and bottom Maybach to slot in a new line. What say you? Benz or 'Bach? Operators are standing by. More »

Pearl Jam: Photos of Maybach's New Finish

Billionaires turned off to the Maybach's dearth of color choices finally have a new tone, and it's not kandy orange peel (sorry Mr. Barris). It's a pearly white paint scheme, which on a giant German car is harder to pull off than an iron bracelet from the ankle of Ilsa, Tigress of Siberia. Nonetheless, we'd imagine there are at least some Maybach buyers who want to recapture some of the lost Liberace mojo. To them, we say godspeed. More »

You know I Am the King of Spain: Juan Carlos Gets a Maybach

It's no Galaxie 500, but we'd imagine Spanish crown royal Juan Carlos I is smilin' to himself and laughin' out loud nonetheless, having received a sporty, new 612 hp Maybach 57S (the driver's Maybach), delivered in person by DaimlerChrysler CEO, Dieter Zetsche. The King — a direct descendant of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V — received the custom 'Bach, which was fitted with enough sterling-silver interior accents to shame Queen Anne's tea set — at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Barcelona. No word on whether cheese and onions were served. More »

Queen of the Rijck: Bombproof Maybach 62

An opening statement on the Web site of Rijck — a builder of armored limousines, such as the bombproof custom Maybach 62 (pictured) — sums it up: "Terrorism, crime, kidnapping and carjacking have become part of daily life worldwide. For many years security and the demand for luxury and comfort were in conflict with each other." Damn right. You thought it was easy to be among the elite in places where whole segments of the population want to take away your shit and use your skull as a doorknob? It's totally hard out there for an oil executive pimp. [UPDATE: Not sure of where that headline reference came from? Click through.] More »

Forbes Runs Down the World's Most Expensive Cars

The Forbeses rock out with an overview of the most expensive cars in the world. Interestingly enough, less than half of the list is taken up by major manufacturers, and Lambo, Ferrari, Rolls and Bentley are conspicuously absent. Also, two American cars made the list: the SSC Ultimate Aero and the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo. If there were different prices listed for the same model, we chose the American price, 'cuz we're all isolationist and crap. Click through for the list. More »

Hoon of the Day: Fixing a Maybach

Maybach auto shop is in session. Lesson One: The old Romanian crowbar trick. Gigi Becali, owner of the Steaua Bucharest football club — obviously unimpressed with the majesty of a $300,000 luxury car — took a crowbar to his Maybach, apparently to get the door to work following an accident. We get where he's coming from, having used a similar technique to gain proper entrance to our old Mazda after getting sideswiped in a Nathan's parking lot. Of course we didn't get the whole thing on tape, or have a friend like Alexandru to give us the "she's not worth it" hug. That's just too cute. More »

Forbes on Celebrity Vehicles

The Forbsies, through their vast network of resources, have brought you, dear reader, a list of vehicles driven by some of the most renowned names in the world of fame. Watch us, armed with only the resources provided by Forbes, applaud or ridicule their vehicular choices after the jump. More »

Forbes' Best Cars of '05

The Forbsies throw down their final year-end falconry gauntlet and declare the finest examples of automobilia from the year two-thousand-five. Rather than rank 'em, they've created some rather arbitrary categories to put their favorite vehicles in, calling the Ford GT "The Best Reason to Buy American" and the "All-New But Still The Sub-$40,000 Gold Standard" title for the new BMW 3. Did somebody wanna get out of the office early for Christmas? Make the jump, see the list. More »

LA Voice on the Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge

Reader and demanding taskmistress Mack gives us a rap on the knuckles and a wee bit of the what-for due to our lack of follow through on the L.A. Auto Show's Design Challenge. Luckily, Mack did the legwork for us and wrote-up a wise-ass commentary on each concept, thus sparing our poor little brains from having to come up with semi-amusing turns of phrase that would most likely involve at least one reference to either H sker D or Michael Douglas. We'll just say that we're predictably partial to Hyundai's Greenspeed Gator concept even though it apparently has little or nothing to do with Burt Reynolds. More »

New, More Powerful Maybach 57S to Launch in Frankfurt

Maybach is bringing a sporting new 57S to Frankfurt this year — in an effort to energize its slow-selling line of ultra-luxury land yachts. The 57S will get a newly tweaked twin-turbo, six-liter V12, by AMG, which will produce a piano-bar-crashing 612 hp. It'll also get a firmer suspension and an interior appointed with new d cor d'elegance, including piano lacquer and carbon fiber. The Johann Sebastian 'Bach (c'mon, do you think they'd actually call it that?) will be able to rearrange its prodigious bulk in time and space to hit 60mph in five seconds. More »

Maybach to Bring Exelero to Frankfurt

Mercedes-Benz's Maybach announced it will show its Exelero coupe in Frankfurt next month, giving the public their first close encounter with the ludicrously amuck demo car for Fulda tires. Built on the same platform as the Matbach 57, the Exelero is as completely insane as you'd expect from a Maybach prototype, sporting a 700hp, twin-turbo V12, 218mph top end and what could be the world's largest sheetmetal tuxedo. More »

Piloting Maybach's Batmobile, the Exelero Show Car

AutoWeek writer Mark Vaughn got a chance to test drive Maybach's sports-coupe prototype, the Exelero — a show car supposedly built, of all things, to test tires. Sure, we'd hardly believed the ultralux Mercedes brand would build such a tire-test mule, though AW reports the project was indeed financed by German tiremaker Fulda to publicize the new Carat Exelero tire. Nonetheless, the car just happens to be perfect for the tires, which are rated to bring a 7000lb car safely to over 200mph and back. Still the Exelero is really a body-by-Stola Maybach 57S designed by a Pforzheim University student, albiet one with a tweaked-out AMG V12 dragged away by 700 wild horses. No, it'll never be built. Hopefully, we'll see one in Frankfurt. More »

Maybach Unveils Exelero Show Car

Maybach today unveiled a bulky, high-performance show car — recalling a streamlined Maybach sportster from the 1930s. The two-seater Exelero, developed with help from students at Pforzheim College, sports a 700hp, twin-turbo V12, which recently propelled the 6,000lb brute to 218.4 mph on a test track in Nardo, Italy. More »