Maybach in New York

July 10, 2002 - Four months after its comeback at the Geneva Motor Show, the luxury car brand Maybach has presented it's new high-end automobile to the public in New York. The new luxury car was shipped across the Atlantic in a glass crate aboard the Queen Elizabeth II and then unloaded by helicopter, to be shown at a hotel near the New York Stock Exchange. Designed to compete against Rolls-Royce and Bentley, DaimlerChrysler plans to build 1,000 units annually at a plant in Sindelfingen, Germany.

With a relatively long front end, short rear end, and long rear doors, the Maybach has a unique and very elegant profile.The Maybach designers have sought a balance between classic and avantgarde, combining gentle, sweeping lines with elegantly modelled contours to give the bodywork a flowing appearance.

A chrome strip circles the entire bodyside to lend a formal structure to the side aspect, defining the main bodyside surface as a separate graphical element. Another chrome section frames the large side windows.

If a Maybach customer decides in favour of two-tone bodywork, the central panels of the doors and wings delineated by the chrome strips are painted in a second colour. A total of 17 exterior paint colours are available - 16 of them metallic finishes - and all can be combined for a two-tone finish. The Maybach therefore offers several hundred possibilities for individual body design.

The hood and boot lid are expressively delineated from the wings, their convex form integrated with the A and C-pillars as further, distinctive style elements.

The interior imparts a clear message - sheer luxury and exceptional spaciousness. The rear seat passengers, particularly, are intended to feel they are at the centre of things, and entitled to enjoy the comfort of a lounge on wheels. The large rear doors open to an angle of 85 degrees, further enhancing the luxury character of the vehicle.

Two comfortable individual seats are finished in Grand nappa - one of the finest types of leather available. Used for the first time, and exclusively in the new Maybach, this leather upholstery shows slight folds as it extends across the seats, making their surfaces unusually soft and comfortable.

The upper section of the dashboard, the armrests on the centre and rear consoles and the flaps in the side doors are likewise upholstered in nappa leather. Specialist suppliers cut a total of approx. 210 leather sections to size for every Maybach and sew them together by hand into 62 larger units. These include another new feature in regular automobile production, namely nubuck leather, which holds a very fine nap as a result of special processing. The lower section of the dashboard and the interior door panels of the Maybach are lined with this soft material.

Customers are able to decide the interior colour scheme of their Maybach in personal discussion with designers. There is a choice of six upholstery colours: Labrador anthracite, Galapagos grey, Barrier reef red, Maori pearl, California beige, and Maldives blue.

Stylish wood trim sections embellish most of the surfaces in the doors and centre consoles, and the Maybach 62 has more than 100 of these - all carefully hand-crafted and individually selected by experienced specialists to ensure a matching grain and colour shade. Three fine wood veneers are available:
- Cherry, a light-coloured wood with a generous, arched grain which is contrasted with the impact-resistant, jet-black, high-gloss lacquer known as piano lacquer;
- Amboyna, a brown exotic wood with a fine, circular grain;
- Burr walnut, a reddish-brown, finely grained veneer from the root of the Californian walnut tree.

A unique three-section lamellar trim extends across the instrument panel and the door panels in an elegant curve. Made up of seven individual lengths, around 20 work stages are required to join different, millimetre-thick veneers with equally fine aluminium inlays by hand - with a final layer of cherry, amboyna or burr walnut at the top. There is also fine wood above the heads of rear passengers in the Maybach 62: fine strips arranged in squares embellish the inside surface of the optional electro-transparent panoramic roof and form an elegant cassette structure which curves across the rear section of the cabin.

Leather and fine wood are the predominant materials which contribute to the dignified interior atmosphere of the Maybach. Soft alcantara and high-quality velour complement this ensemble of materials: alcantara is used to give the roof pillar linings, the sun visors and roof lining a surface which is pleasant to the touch, while velour with a deep nap is used for the floor carpeting.

To enable the rear passengers to keep a constant eye on the current road speed, outside temperature and time, three elegant, circular dials are mounted in an overhead panel.

The designers have also used light as a design feature in the interior of the Maybach. In addition to numerous door and reading lights, they have developed ambient lighting that creates a pleasant, diffused lighting effect which remains switched on even when on the move and provides a special atmosphere in the interior.

This ambient lighting feature includes two light panels in the front roof operating console, four lights in the roof section between the two B-pillars, three upward floodlights on the inside of each B and C-pillar, a downward LED in the rear-view mirror, lighting strips in the roof lining between the B and C-pillars and lighting in the front and rear footwells.

The main attraction of this lighting concept is incorporated in the optional panoramic roof in the Maybach 62. The roof consists of two 6mm thick panes of glass with an electrically powered, sliding liner between them. At the touch of a button, the electro-luminescent membrane emits a diffused light over its entire surface. Such EL membranes have previously only been used to light up small areas such as mobile telephone or clock displays. A control in the rear centre console enables passengers to regulate the lighting intensity of the EL membrane.

Switching the power on in daylight arranges the crystals in the plastic membrane in such a way that the glass becomes transparent and allows daylight into the rear of the Maybach 62. When the voltage is switched off, the liquid crystals lose their transparent arrangement and the glass becomes opaque and filters the daylight to produce a pleasant, diffused glow, with only approx. 76 percent reaching the interior. This electrically controlled transparency has its world premiere in the Maybach 62.

Up to 77 electronic control units work together on board the Maybach 62 and exchange their information via five high-performance databus networks. The system provides a large number of functions which relieve the driver of stress and improve safety, comfort, entertainment and communication.

The proximity control system 'Distronic' uses a radar sensor located behind the front bumper to monitor the traffic ahead of the Maybach, automatically adjusting the engine or brakes to maintain the correct distance from the preceding vehicle.

The Linguatronic voice control system operates the audio, communication and navigation systems in the Maybach. A few words from the driver are sufficient to control sound system functions or program the navigation system with the required destination. The electronic 'Keyless-Go' automatically unlocks the doors and boot lid as soon as the driver approaches the car.

The Maybach 57 and 62 will have their official debut at the Paris Motor Show in September.

	World premiere for Maybach in New York
	Click for larger images Click for larger images	July 10, 2002 - Four months after its comeback at the Geneva Motor Show, the luxury car brand Maybach has presented it's new high-end automobile to the public in New York. The new luxury car was shipped across the Atlantic in a glass crate aboard the Queen Elizabeth II and then unloaded by helicopter, to be shown at a hotel near the New York Stock Exchange. Designed to compete against Rolls-Royce and Bentley, DaimlerChrysler plans to build 1,000 units annually at a plant in Sindelfingen, Germany. With a relatively long front end, short rear end, and long rear doors, the Maybach has a unique and very elegant profile.The Maybach designers have sought a balance between classic and avantgarde, combining gentle, sweeping lines with elegantly modelled contours to give the bodywork a flowing appearance. A chrome strip circles the entire bodyside to lend a formal structure to the side aspect, defining the main bodyside surface as a separate graphical element. Another chrome section frames the large side windows. If a Maybach customer decides in favour of two-tone bodywork, the central panels of the doors and wings delineated by the chrome strips are painted in a second colour. A total of 17 exterior paint colours are available - 16 of them metallic finishes - and all can be combined for a two-tone finish. The Maybach therefore offers several hundred possibilities for individual body design. The hood and boot lid are expressively delineated from the wings, their convex form integrated with the A and C-pillars as further, distinctive style elements. The interior imparts a clear message - sheer luxury and exceptional spaciousness. The rear seat passengers, particularly, are intended to feel they are at the centre of things, and entitled to enjoy the comfort of a lounge on wheels. The large rear doors open to an angle of 85 degrees, further enhancing the luxury character of the vehicle. Two comfortable individual seats are finished in Grand nappa - one of the finest types of leather available. Used for the first time, and exclusively in the new Maybach, this leather upholstery shows slight folds as it extends across the seats, making their surfaces unusually soft and comfortable. The upper section of the dashboard, the armrests on the centre and rear consoles and the flaps in the side doors are likewise upholstered in nappa leather. Specialist suppliers cut a total of approx. 210 leather sections to size for every Maybach and sew them together by hand into 62 larger units. These include another new feature in regular automobile production, namely nubuck leather, which holds a very fine nap as a result of special processing. The lower section of the dashboard and the interior door panels of the Maybach are lined with this soft material. Customers are able to decide the interior colour scheme of their Maybach in personal discussion with designers. There is a choice of six upholstery colours: Labrador anthracite, Galapagos grey, Barrier reef red, Maori pearl, California beige, and Maldives blue. Stylish wood trim sections embellish most of the surfaces in the doors and centre consoles, and the Maybach 62 has more than 100 of these - all carefully hand-crafted and individually selected by experienced specialists to ensure a matching grain and colour shade. Three fine wood veneers are available: - Cherry, a light-coloured wood with a generous, arched grain which is contrasted with the impact-resistant, jet-black, high-gloss lacquer known as piano lacquer; - Amboyna, a brown exotic wood with a fine, circular grain; - Burr walnut, a reddish-brown, finely grained veneer from the root of the Californian walnut tree. A unique three-section lamellar trim extends across the instrument panel and the door panels in an elegant curve. Made up of seven individual lengths, around 20 work stages are required to join different, millimetre-thick veneers with equally fine aluminium inlays by hand - with a final layer of cherry, amboyna or burr walnut at the top. There is also fine wood above the heads of rear passengers in the Maybach 62: fine strips arranged in squares embellish the inside surface of the optional electro-transparent panoramic roof and form an elegant cassette structure which curves across the rear section of the cabin. Leather and fine wood are the predominant materials which contribute to the dignified interior atmosphere of the Maybach. Soft alcantara and high-quality velour complement this ensemble of materials: alcantara is used to give the roof pillar linings, the sun visors and roof lining a surface which is pleasant to the touch, while velour with a deep nap is used for the floor carpeting. To enable the rear passengers to keep a constant eye on the current road speed, outside temperature and time, three elegant, circular dials are mounted in an overhead panel. The designers have also used light as a design feature in the interior of the Maybach. In addition to numerous door and reading lights, they have developed ambient lighting that creates a pleasant, diffused lighting effect which remains switched on even when on the move and provides a special atmosphere in the interior. This ambient lighting feature includes two light panels in the front roof operating console, four lights in the roof section between the two B-pillars, three upward floodlights on the inside of each B and C-pillar, a downward LED in the rear-view mirror, lighting strips in the roof lining between the B and C-pillars and lighting in the front and rear footwells. The main attraction of this lighting concept is incorporated in the optional panoramic roof in the Maybach 62. The roof consists of two 6mm thick panes of glass with an electrically powered, sliding liner between them. At the touch of a button, the electro-luminescent membrane emits a diffused light over its entire surface. Such EL membranes have previously only been used to light up small areas such as mobile telephone or clock displays. A control in the rear centre console enables passengers to regulate the lighting intensity of the EL membrane. Switching the power on in daylight arranges the crystals in the plastic membrane in such a way that the glass becomes transparent and allows daylight into the rear of the Maybach 62. When the voltage is switched off, the liquid crystals lose their transparent arrangement and the glass becomes opaque and filters the daylight to produce a pleasant, diffused glow, with only approx. 76 percent reaching the interior. This electrically controlled transparency has its world premiere in the Maybach 62. Up to 77 electronic control units work together on board the Maybach 62 and exchange their information via five high-performance databus networks. The system provides a large number of functions which relieve the driver of stress and improve safety, comfort, entertainment and communication. The proximity control system 'Distronic' uses a radar sensor located behind the front bumper to monitor the traffic ahead of the Maybach, automatically adjusting the engine or brakes to maintain the correct distance from the preceding vehicle. The Linguatronic voice control system operates the audio, communication and navigation systems in the Maybach. A few words from the driver are sufficient to control sound system functions or program the navigation system with the required destination. The electronic 'Keyless-Go' automatically unlocks the doors and boot lid as soon as the driver approaches the car. The Maybach 57 and 62 will have their official debut at the Paris Motor Show in September.