62 Landaulet

STORY

The Maybach 62 was the long-wheelbase, chauffeur-focused version of DaimlerChrysler's 2002 revival of the Maybach marque, the modern heir to the coachbuilt Maybach limousines that Wilhelm and Karl Maybach produced before the Second World War. Where the 57 was aimed at owner-drivers, the 62 (named for its roughly 6.2-metre length) devoted its extra 24 centimetres entirely to the rear compartment, with reclining "business class" seats, a fixed centre console, and one of the most lavish cabins offered by any production car of its day. It was pitched squarely against the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Arnage as Mercedes reached for the very top of the luxury market.

It shared the M285 twin-turbo V12 family with the 57: 550 PS from the 5.5-litre engine, 612 PS in the 62 S, and 640 PS in the Zeppelin edition, all driving the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic. The rare 62 Landaulet added a folding rear roof section for open-air chauffeuring, with only around 22 built. Like the 57, the 62 sold well below expectations and never earned the brand equity Daimler hoped for; production of the original Maybach ended in 2012-2013 after only a few thousand cars in total. The marque was revived in 2014 as the Mercedes-Maybach sub-brand, beginning with the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.