This is could be the end of the road for Maybach, the über-luxury marque that was re-launched by Mercedes-Benz in 2002. Mercedes' attempt to snag market share in the upper echelon of the luxury market (i.e. from Rolls-Royce and Bentley) has fallen relatively flat on its face, mostly thanks to insane pricing, relatively-dated styling, and shady Wall Street-ers losing everyone's money.
Admittedly, the Landaulet is pretty unique, but why anyone would end up paying almost $1.4 million for a stretched, previous-generation S-Class with a cloth top and a 5-speed automatic transmission is beyond me.
And then there's the poorly (or aptly...) named Zeppelin, instilling images of crashing in a blaze of glory. That one was just icing on the cake.
For those not in the know, the Zeppelin was the model with even more luxury amenities, like different badges, leather, and champagne glasses. WEAK.
Have a peek at the leaked face lift below (click here for the spy shots). The freshened models will feature new LED daylight running lights, a reworked Lancia-esque grille, and a few minor changes in the bumper/hood lines.
Will this update be enough to sway a few people in Maybach's direction? I'm guessing...no.
- By Phil Alex
