2007 Maybach Landaulet Concept

Maybach is in a bit of a fix at the moment. Despite taking the cake as the

maker of the world's most opulent vehicles, its sales haven't been over the moon. What's worse is that the situation at Maybach has nothing to do with any ultra-premium market downturn. Truly, it's the opposite of what's happening at key rivals Rolls-Royce and Bentley, both of which have seen nothing but major growth and forward progress over the past couple of years. Critics have suggested that Maybach's sedan (it comes in two lengths dubbed 57 and 62), for all of its first-class travel amenities and effortless power is simply too much like a standard Mercedes-Benz S-Class (previous generation up front and inside plus current car from the rear) to be worth the giant price difference.

Rather than just dwell on why, Maybach is trying to come up with a legitimate solution to the problem. Following in the footsteps of Rolls-Royce, Maybach has now created its own convertible concept, the 62 Landaulet Study. Technically speaking, this latest car is only half a convertible as the retractable portion of the roof is only over the rear of the vehicle. This sort of configuration is rare to see on the streets today, although at one point in time many decades ago (back when more people knew what a Maybach was), landaulet roofs were popular amongst the very wealthy. Where in most convertibles the sun shines down upon everyone, it's an exclusive treat for those being

chauffeured around, a duty that the Maybach is most qualified for.

The Landaulet conversion was a fairly simple task for those behind the closed doors at Maybach. Unlike the recently introduced Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, which required extensive re-engineering of the body and interior, there's a lot less to do with a landaulet roof conversion. Besides the removal of the crossbar directly over the rear seat passenger's head and the metal above, the structure of the body remains essentially the same. Not much by the way of underbody reinforcements are needed with a setup like this since the rear and middle pillars, plus much of the overhead structure, are still present. The cloth roof takes 16 seconds to raise and lower, though the leather tonneau cover must be put on by hand... you can have your driver do that.

The Landaulet is based on Maybach's most expensive production vehicle, the 62 S. It is finished in a highly lustrous pearl white metallic paint, and features white painted alloy wheels with bright spokes. Mechanically, the Landaulet is identical to the 62 S in terms of its engine,

transmission and brakes. The 62 S is the most powerful production chauffeured vehicle, with its twin-turbocharged six-liter V12 engine making 612 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. The gearbox is a five-speed automatic. Despite being as big and as heavy as it is, the Landaulet is more than capable of extremely quick acceleration.

If you want an example of no-expenses spared luxury take a look at the Landaulet's VIP area, the back seats. Whether passengers are under the sun or under the soft-top roof, they are treated to the ultimate in materials and gizmos. Instead of the usual lacquered wood, gloss piano-key wood is used in conjunction with inserts made from polished black granite. The rear area is otherwise as white as a blizzard; the leather-trimmed private-jet style reclining seats, velor floor and fabric headliner are all pure white. The icing on the cake just might be the divider between the front and rear section of the car. Not only is it made from glass, but there's an embedded electrochromic filament to block out the view from the front of the car. Of course, a fridge for cooling champagne, goblet holders, and a pair of high-definition LCD displays for rear-seat entertainment are fitted.

Maybach has also altered the climate control system for the rear passengers to cope with the open elements in order to keep those in back comfortable no matter how warm or cool the outside world is.

Up front, it's a completely different world. Ahead of the divider the chauffeur and front-seat passenger (a footman?) have the standard Maybach interior which, intriguingly enough is finished in a black color scheme. Driver and passenger are treated to a high-end stereo system, navigation and other toys. Why Maybach chose to divide the interior scheme up like this is beyond us, but the contrast is sure to create interest.

Although the car that will debut in Dubai will be a “study” vehicle, there is little doubt that Maybach will put the Landaulet into production. Rumor has it that a total of 20 units will be created, most of which will be headed towards the hot, dry middle-eastern states, areas where the Maybach is "popular". Price? Generally speaking, people who will purchase this car aren't troubled by figures as small as a half million dollars or more; it's the exclusivity factor that's more important.

It's unlikely that introducing the Landaulet production version will have any effect on saving this ailing division from the threat of the chopping block, but it will draw attention to the brand and those that buy into it. Isn't that what high-profile luxury is all about?