Looks like somebody still buids a sedan that could tow a fair-sized
boat. Launching might be a problem- would want to use a sling or a
hoist rather than drive into the water with one of these.

But the dealer quoted in this article is nuts. Yes, the car is
expensive- but nowhere near the price range of a new motoryacht:


Land Yacht
First Drive: 2006 Maybach 57 S
By EDMUNDS.COM EDITORS


Morning drives don't get much better than this. It's beautiful, crisp
and swimming in sunlight. The backdrop is southern Spain's gorgeous
Costa del Sol. We sit atop napa leather chairs that are massaging and
ventilating our backsides. The speedometer needle hovers around 200
kilometers per hour with nary a sound to be heard from the outside
world. The only audible noises are the muted hum of a 612-horsepower
biturbo V12 and the occasional sigh of sheer sensory satisfaction
slipping from our mouths.


We're piloting the new 2006 Maybach 57 S, a vehicle claimed by its
maker to be the most powerful production sedan on earth. And it's not
letting us down.


According to Maybach, "S" stands for "Special." Now there's an
understatement, just like this one, regarding the mission of this
super-sedan: to deliver "luxury and performance combined at the highest
level." In other words, it's over the top. And hella fast. Think of it
as the illegitimate offspring of a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and a
Cartieri di Pisa megayacht. And at $367,000, it's priced to match.

Impressive, not imposing
Now any car that's nearly 19 feet long, 6.5 feet wide and 5 feet tall
is going to be impressive. Pictures simply can't convey the massiveness
- nor the 3-ton curb weight - of this car. But if you've ever seen
a Maybach in person, you know what we mean. They're enormous.

Which is not to say intimidating, like the locomotive-nosed Rolls-Royce
Phantom. Indeed, the criticism most often levied against Maybachs is
that they don't catch the eye the way such a pricey car should. Then
again, as a Maybach sales consultant in Beverly Hills, California,
pointed out to me once, "People this rich don't always want to look
this rich."


Fair enough, at least for the buyer of a "standard" Maybach. But those
folks would probably also be content with the regular 57's performance
credentials, which are more than decent, to be sure. But we would
expect "S" buyers, who are spending an extra $35 large primarily for an
engine upgrade, to be somewhat more extroverted. Don't they want more
flash with their dash?


It's different. Can't you tell?
Maybach thinks not. Besides the additional power, the S brings with it
only slight exterior modifications, which start with monochromatic
paint in either silver or black. Of course, for a price, Maybach will
paint it any color you want, but for now, it's offering only those two
colors.


Most noticeable, perhaps, are the S-specific 11-spoke wheels, which
measure 20 inches in diameter (up from 19) and 8.5 inches in width.
Their multispoke design is said to allow for greater brake cooling,
which anyone trying to stop a 6,033-pound car can appreciate.

Inside job
The four-seat interior of the 57 was also retouched oh so slightly to
create the 57 S. As with the paint, the napa/nubuck leather seat, dash
and door trim - some 12 bulls' worth - is offered in just two
colors: subtle black or splashier white with black piping. So what if
white is hard to keep clean, that's why these people have personal
assistants.


Though the interior architecture hasn't changed per se, the S swaps the
57's natural-stained wood trim pieces for gorgeous piano black lacquer
bits with door and center console panels of carbon fiber or
charcoal-stained poplar.

Now, carbon fiber is always novel, but frankly, what may look cool on a
Porsche Carrera GT may seem somewhat out of character on a car like
this. The dark wood treatment seems more fitting, but even with its
exquisite chrome detailing, it falls short of feeling truly special.
It's too reminiscent, perhaps, of all those other luxury cars out
there.

The most appealing arrangement, we think, involves replacing the carbon
fiber or poplar with additional black lacquer. Particularly with the
white leather, this creates an art deco mood that takes you back to an
era when Delahayes, Bugatti Royales and Mercedes-Benz 500Ks graced the
boulevards.

Naturally, creature comforts are too numerous to list. But among them
are a rear-seat champagne cooler, twin sterling silver flutes,
four-zone climate control, twin rear television screens,
voice-activated this and that, navigation, and a 600-watt audio system
with surround sound for all four sets of ears. Each seat gets heating,
cooling and massaging features, as well as actively inflating side
bolsters to hold occupants in place during spirited cornering. Yeah, if
you think it sounds like a nice place to spend time, you're right.

Performance: the Ultimate Luxury
Cushy as it is, what really makes the 57 S, as they say, "Special" is
the sensational performance that accompanies the opulence. This starts,
of course, with the enhanced biturbo V12 residing under the long hood.
Each engine, built by a single technician at DaimlerChrysler's AMG
division, features 10-percent greater displacement and modifications to
the turbochargers and intercoolers compared with the standard 57's V12.
The result: 612 hp at 4,800 rpm and 738 pound-feet of torque at 2,000
rpm.

Yes, this is the same great motor found in the great "65-series" SL-,
CL and S-Class Benz models. Equipped thus, Maybach says the 57 S makes
the 0-to-62-mph sprint in just 5 seconds. Even more impressive is its
50-to-75-mph burst, which Maybach says takes just 3.7 seconds. Needless
to say, on Spain's curvy motorways, passing slower drivers, which
included, um, pretty much everyone, was no problem.

Racetrack-ready, almost
Chassis modifications include thicker stabilizer bars, a 15mm ride
height reduction and stiffer configuration for its semiactive air
suspension. According to Maybach, these contribute to a 15-percent
reduction in roll angle in the sportiest of the adjustable suspension's
three available settings.

That sounds good, but it'll take more than that to calm the rocking
motion of the Maybach's 3 tons of leather, wood and metal shifting
along its yaw and roll centers. We selected the stiffest setup and
didn't dare change it. Roll was also apparent during our shotgun ride
around the glorious, privately owned Ascari road course nestled in the
mountains north of Marbella. That said, once the body took a set, the
tires gripped and didn't let go, making aggressive cornering a stable,
predictable and fun affair.

Interestingly, Maybach didn't enhance the sedan's brakes, which proved
more than up to snuff for "S" duty. The track time at Ascari
demonstrated just how well the big gal can halt her progress. The
driver stabbing the brakes approaching the corner would leave us
hanging off our seatbelt.

Some of that stellar braking and cornering no doubt can be attributed
to the specially commissioned, high-performance 275/45YR20 Michelin
Pilot Sport tires, with their "variable contact patch" technology.
These tires incorporate harder compounds on the outer shoulder of the
tire for handling and a softer compound in the center for ride comfort.


'Bach or boat? Decisions, decisions...
Maybach representatives regularly back away from comparisons to other
automobiles such as the similarly massive Rolls-Royce Phantom or the
slick new Bentley Continental Flying Spur. Rather, Maybach says it
considers motor yachts and personal aircraft as the primary competition
of the plain-Jane 57. Uh huh.

With the 57 S, Maybach doesn't have to play coy anymore. Thanks to its
fantastic engine and uncompromising, feature-laden interior, the 2006
Maybach 57 S is better than those other two cars, and anything else in
its segment. So, Maybach, shut up about the yachts and kick some
Rolls-Royce arse already.


2006-01-13 16:25:21

Back in the '60's and '70's, My uncle towed a 26ft travel trailer all
over the US with his Chrysler New Yorker. Now THERE was a tow car.
Cheaper, too.
JR
Wonder how much AAMCO would charge to do the trans in the grand Maybach?

wrote:

Looks like somebody still buids a sedan that could tow a fair-sized
boat. Launching might be a problem- would want to use a sling or a
hoist rather than drive into the water with one of these.

But the dealer quoted in this article is nuts. Yes, the car is
expensive- but nowhere near the price range of a new motoryacht:


Land Yacht
First Drive: 2006 Maybach 57 S
By EDMUNDS.COM EDITORS


--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

JR North wrote:
Back in the '60's and '70's, My uncle towed a 26ft travel trailer all
over the US with his Chrysler New Yorker. Now THERE was a tow car.
Cheaper, too.
JR
Wonder how much AAMCO would charge to do the trans in the grand Maybach?

wrote:

Looks like somebody still buids a sedan that could tow a fair-sized
boat. Launching might be a problem- would want to use a sling or a
hoist rather than drive into the water with one of these.

But the dealer quoted in this article is nuts. Yes, the car is
expensive- but nowhere near the price range of a new motoryacht:


Land Yacht
First Drive: 2006 Maybach 57 S
By EDMUNDS.COM EDITORS


--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

Do you not have a rule there about the towed weight vs the weight of the
tow vehicle??? we do, so unless it's a semi trailer you can't get too
far above the weight of the tower

K

K. Smith wrote:
JR North wrote:
Back in the '60's and '70's, My uncle towed a 26ft travel trailer all
over the US with his Chrysler New Yorker. Now THERE was a tow car.
Cheaper, too.
JR
Wonder how much AAMCO would charge to do the trans in the grand Maybach?

wrote:

Looks like somebody still buids a sedan that could tow a fair-sized
boat. Launching might be a problem- would want to use a sling or a
hoist rather than drive into the water with one of these.

But the dealer quoted in this article is nuts. Yes, the car is
expensive- but nowhere near the price range of a new motoryacht:


Land Yacht
First Drive: 2006 Maybach 57 S
By EDMUNDS.COM EDITORS


--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

Do you not have a rule there about the towed weight vs the weight of the
tow vehicle??? we do, so unless it's a semi trailer you can't get too
far above the weight of the tower

K

Only the law of common sense really requires a relationship between the
weight of the tow vehicle and the weight of the trailer in most states
in the US. Even so, at over 6000 pounds this car will outweigh most
full size pickups, (as far as I know), and the majority of
boat/motor/trailer combos as well.

I was about half facetious with the towing claim for this vehicle. It
sounds like it's got plenty of HP and torque, but it must be geared
higher than heck to make the highway speeds the article reported. For a
small to medium size boat this would probably be marginal or OK, but
for the very largest trailer boats nothing beats a 4wd,
1-ton, diesel dually.

Besides, anybody who can afford a $360k car will have no difficulty in
buying a stout truck for boat towing, proabably out of miscellaneous
pocket money.

Besides, anybody who can afford a $360k car will have no difficulty in
buying a stout truck for boat towing, proabably out of miscellaneous
pocket money.

If I had $365 mega to spend on a car, I sure wouldn't be concerned
about towing my own boat. It would be kind of hard to tow a 50+ ft.
Hatteras or Chris Craft anyhow