KEY POINTS:
Mercedes Benz is reviving the open-top "Landaulet" with a concept version of the super-luxury Maybach 62 S sedan.
Like so many chauffeured vehicles from the past, the Landaulet has a sliding roof that can be completely opened at the rear, while the driving compartment remains fully enclosed.
The basic construction and profile of the production Maybach 62 S remain.
When closed, the black soft-top of the Landaulet rests on the frame formed by the roof bows.
The roof opens electro-hydraulically and rests on the parcel shelf in the rear. Opening and closing the roof takes 16 seconds.
The driver and passenger compartments are finished in different colours.
Up front, all the interior trim is surfaced in black piano lacquer, with upholstery in black leather.
The passenger compartment is covered almost completely in white leather. The floor is carpeted in white velour and the roof is lined with white fabric.
The concept is designed primarily as a chauffeured vehicle and features a partition. The upper section of the partition is a glass panel passengers can render opaque at the touch of a button, thanks to a liquid crystal membrane embedded in the glass.
As in the Maybach 62 S, the rear console is the centrepiece for entertainment and communications, which boasts a DVD player, six CD-changer, a cooler compartment with its own electric compressor, and an intelligent system that holds glasses, goblets and champagne bottles safely in position.
The Maybach Landaulet is powered by the uprated V12 engine, which Maybach engineers have developed further for the Maybach 57 S and Maybach 62 S together with Mercedes-AMG.
Thanks to twin turbochargers and water intercooling, the V12 develops a maximum output of 450kW from 6.0 litres. The maximum torque is a staggering 1000Nm - not that it will matter much from the business class-style back seat.
- Detours, Hos
