2002 MAYBACH 57 (W240) 5.5L V12 5AT (550 HP)

Vehicle Overview

In 2002, the brand Maybach returned to the car industry. The former ultra-luxury vehicle was back on the market aiming directly to Rolls-Royce and Bentley, but with more technology displayed.

While Rolls-Royce and Bentley used to build very expensive cars for rich and, usually, older buyers, Maybach was built for the young guns. Rich buyers from the younger generation. Unlike the other two, traditional, British brands, the Maybach was loaded with new technologies. The brand was revived by Mercedes-Benz in an attempt to counter-balance the success obtained by BMW with the Rolls-Royce brand.

Traditionally, most of the Maybach vehicles were built by independent coachbuilders based on a Maybach chassis. 80% of the pre-WWII Maybach cars didn’t feature a Maybach bodywork. But the economy had changed and the Maybach 57 was built by Mercedes-Benz. And that was not the best idea. The car’s shape reminded of that from a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Despite the new headlights, the new radiator grille, and the new taillights, the shape was way too similar to be named as a different brand.

Inside, the Maybach 57 featured the most luxurious cabin offered in a passenger car. For the arrangement of the interior, Maybach customers could choose between six grand Nappa leather colors and three high-quality types of wood. It offered more than any other luxury car on the market.

The engine was a 5.5-liter V12 with three valves per cylinder and bi-turbocharged. It was the most powerful unit installed in a sedan at that time. With 550 hp and 900 Nm (663 lb-ft) at the crank, the engine was just too much for the latest 7G-Tronic gearbox so the older 5G-Tronic was chosen instead.