Classic car fans from around the world converged at Pebble Beach in California for a very special beauty contest. This gathering of magnificent classic cars was the perfect place to premiere the exclusive Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6, a sensational luxury-class coupé.
A glamorous coupé.
“Our glamorous coupé, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6, represents the ultimate in contemporary luxury. It is hot and cool”, states Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Daimler AG. “With its intelligent appeal and reduced, technoid look, it perfectly embodies our design philosophy of sensual purity and our pursuit of aerodynamic efficiency.”
Classic, aesthetic principles.
With its sensual, emotional design (“hot”) and intelligent details (“cool”), the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 represents the ultimate in luxury. The classic aesthetic proportions of the show car – the extremely long bonnet, the low roof line and the rearward positioning of the greenhouse – recall the aero coupés of days gone by. But this is not retro design – this is a reinterpretation of classic, aesthetic principles.
The exterior design.
Clearly defined contours and organically formed wings stand in contrast to the sharply drawn, extended feature line on each side which defines the upper vehicle body from the radiator grille across the entire length of the vehicle to the rear.
There is also a striking contrast between the Maybach red paintwork and the chrome strips which sit above the wheel arches and in the centre of the bonnet and boot lid. A reinterpretation of the Mercedes-Maybach radiator grille with its fine, vertical struts accentuates the front end. The extended, round “boat tail” format of the 6’s rear recalls a luxury yacht.
The interior as luxurious 360° lounge.
The front windscreen serves as a transparent display: driving-related data and geographical information is shown across its full width, augmenting the outside world with additional information. This information can be controlled and adjusted by the occupants using gestures.
The dashboard wing curves across the door trim into the seat landscape, creating a 360° lounge. The sitting surface forms a horizontal, which transitions into the vertical of the doors and finally becomes the underside of the dashboard wing.
In the doors and dashboard the traditional wood trim softens the appearance of the digital control and display interfaces. As a contrast to the digital world of the displays, elm is used in the floor area, creating a refined yachting look.
Typical sports car performance.
It is designed as an electric car. Thanks to its four compact permanent magnet synchronous electric motors, it features all-wheel drive. The output of the drive system is 550 kW (750 PS). The shallow underfloor battery has a usable capacity of approx. 80 kWh.
This not only allows performance characteristics typical of a sports car (acceleration from 0‑100 km/h in under four seconds, top speed electronically governed at 250 km/h) but also a range of over 500 kilometres according to the NEDC (over 200 miles according to EPA).
The 6 can be replenished wirelessly or via an electromagnetic field, and quick-charging fires enough juice into the system in just five minutes to deliver 65 miles of range.
The wheels are humungous 24-inchers, with transparent, body-coloured shields covering their spars.
With its impressive dimensions, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 (length/width/height: 5700/2100/1328 millimetres) is the first luxury coupé in the series of visionary design show cars from Mercedes-Benz.
