Maybach is expected to use the tony venue of the Dubai auto show in mid-November to do a striptease on its 62 S with the unveiling of the Landaulet Study. The eye-popping design study features a black soft top that retracts to give rear passengers a convertible feel, while the chauffeur remains fully enclosed.
The upscale Daimler brand describes the Landaulet Study as a one-off, but the vehicle may go into very limited production of probably no more than 20 vehicles a year if Maybach’s clientele go nuts over it. Maybach is reaching far back into the automotive past in naming the Landaulet Study. “Landaulet” is originally a coach-building term that generally means a simulated convertible. In the 1960s, the term became shortened to “landau,” which came to mean a fake convertible, often a vinyl rendering on a mass-produced vehicle.
Auto-showgoers in the Middle East should be mesmerized by the Landaulet Study, which has the sub-theme of being a study in ostentatious wealth. Rear-seat appointments include such glamorous materials as white leather, piano lacquer and black granite “with numerous gold inclusions,” said Maybach in a statement. Rear passengers are seated in “opulent armchairs.” The floor is swathed in white velour, and the roof is lined with white fabric. The exterior gets an exclusive Antigua White finish accented by 20-inch wheels painted white with “high-sheen spokes.”
Maybach stripped off the rear roof module to create the landaulet effect. The retractable soft top is operated by the chauffeur, who can conceal the folded roof with a fitted leather cover. Because this is intended as a chauffeured vehicle, it includes a partition between the front and rear. The rear passengers can touch a button and make the glass part of the partition opaque via a “liquid-crystal membrane embedded in the glass,” said Maybach.
The Landaulet Study is powered by a 612-horsepower 6.0-liter V12 with twin turbochargers.
If it ever makes it into production, a fully equipped Maybach 62 S Landaulet could be priced near $500,000. A 2007 Maybach 62 S starts at $428,750, including a $2,750 destination charge. It could also be quite the gas guzzler, since its 62 S sibling only gets 11 mpg in city driving.
What this means to you: Staid Maybach gets a major dose of excitement with the Landaulet Study. Expect a waiting list if it ever makes it into the real world.













Popularity: 2% [?]