Detailed 'hands on' Maybach review
Forbes magazine sheds more light on this fantastic automobile
Forbes Magazine Maybach review
I was in the new Maybach 62, perhaps the greatest non-flying accoutrement of the jet set ever devised.
Mercedes customers have the desire and the cash for something even grander--and more exclusive.
In fact, according to studies by DaimlerChrysler, 8,500 customers worldwide pay more than $250,000 for luxury goods each year--think not just cars but yachts, second homes, even vacations and jewelry.
Trust us, you can still kick back in style in the 57, with anyone up to 6 feet 6 inches tall finding easy comfort. But with the 62 you're unlikely to want to ever drive, whereas with the 57 you could hire a chauffer occasionally and drive yourself the rest of the time.
But unlike on any airplane we've seen, these tables feature leather undersides (to prevent snags on your silk trousers) and wood surfaces and are edged in machined aluminum with a chrome coating.
The panorama roof also utilizes the miracle of liquid crystals. This lid, nearly a square yard in size, sheds natural light on the entirety of the rear cabin. Moreover, the roof can be "closed," with a liner sliding between the inner and outer glass layers, blocking natural light. Or if you choose, the roof, like the partition, can simply be made opaque, filtering out about one-quarter of the light. But the real beauty of the roof is how it looks at night.
An electro-luminescent membrane bathes a soft orange glow over the cabin and can be adjusted for intensity via a small knurled wheel on the rear center console. The experience of sitting under this shower of warm light is mesmerizing for even the most jaded or moody. It is positively uplifting.
There are dual 9.5-inch TFT flat-panel screens on the back of the front seatbacks (in the 57) and on the partition wall (in the 62). These are sourced from Panasonic (nyse: MC - news - people ) and are, shy of plasma technology, the clearest monitors we've witnessed.
Video for these screens is fed from an Alpine DVD player that rests in a compartment at shoulder level between the two rear-passenger seats, where you'll also find the CD changer and inputs for other devices, like video-in for a camera, MP3 player or laptop. Although technical specifications have not yet been fully set, Maybach officials say all of these devices can be programmed into an onboard remote control for the entire entertainment system.
What should also be said right here is that although you can hear the engine at such times of unbridled fuel consumption, otherwise this is the quietest car we've ever been in.
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