If rumors of a third Maybach line are true, one has to wonder where this new car is going to fit in. The main question is whether it will sit above the 6,000 62S flagship, or below the 5,500 57 “base” model. Some of the rumors that circulated were that a Mercedes GL-based full-size uber ‘ute would be the next to carry the triple-M logo, yet some have said that something slotting between the 57 and the M-B S65 AMG would be coming as Maybach’s answer to the upcoming rumored “baby Rolls” from BMW. With large SUV sales flat-lining and bottoming out over the past few years, an uber ‘ute seems a little unsound when it comes to presenting the business plan. But then again, so does a set of ultra-long, ultra-luxurious, V12-engined sedans.
That brings me to the baby ‘bach, which makes even less sense, in my mind. At least a GL-based model would be easy to build on economies of scale and could possibly steal some sales from the perennial Range Rover, using its exclusivity and craftsmanship as a selling point to the mega-rich. However, I don’t think there is enough of a way to differentiate a baby ‘bach from a top-end Mercedes. Unlike BMW and Rolls, Maybach is generally just viewed as a fancy-shmancy Mercedes. At least to churn a little more revenue, let Maybach build the 509 (the length of a GL) just until they get their brains together and build the Exelero. Screw that, just build the Exelero, and make yourself a real name Maybach!