Maybach 57 and 62 History
In the 1920s and 1930s, Maybach made some of the most luxurious automobiles in the world. But the Great Depression sank Maybach's ship, as it sunk so many others, and the name went unused for decades. But in 2004, Mercedes-Benz resurrected the German luxury brand. The cars would be the epitome of understated luxury, with powerful engines, smooth rides, and subtle styling so as to avoid the charge of conspicuous consumption. Each car was made to order, with a long list of options, upholstery choices, and appointments. A buyer was really only limited by his wallet when it came to his Maybach. In autumn of 2011, less than a decade after its resurrection, Maybach was once again sunk, this time by its owners at Mercedes.
Engine
The short and long Maybachs shared a 5.5-liter V12 twin-turbo engine, which sounds pretty powerful until you realize the poor thing had to haul around 6,000 pounds of car. That's right -- a typical Maybach weighed three tons. But with nearly 700 lb-ft of torque on tap, it was still able to pull off a 0-62 mph time of 5.2 seconds.
Design
One of the downfalls of the Maybach 57 and 62 was the design. Not that it wasn't lovely and understated -- it was certainly both of those things. But it didn't really look much different from a regular old Mercedes, though it cost at least three times as much as the most expensive Mercedes-Benz sedan.
The Maybach came in two lengths: the 57 was 5.7 meters long (255 inches), and the 62 was 6.2 meters long (243 inches). In either case, there was plenty of room for a driver up front and passengers in the back, which is how the Maybachs were meant to be used.
Interior
Here was where the Maybach set itself apart, with an attention to detail rarely seen in any car. Sure, it had heated seats of the finest leather, wood trim, the latest in nav systems and audio equipment (twenty-one speakers!), and climate controls for front and back seats. But these things are nearly commonplace when you realized that the Maybach 57 and 62 came with a mini fridge, silver champagne flutes, an umbrella, a rear-roof-only sun roof, doors that close automatically with the push of a button, and ten little fans in the rear seats to keep your tush cool on hot days.
Specs
- Engine: 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12
- Horsepower: 543 hp
- Torque: 664 lb-ft
- Top speed: 155 mph
- 0-60 mph: 5.2 seconds
