Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 concept revealed

The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 has revealed a 748.23hp electric-powered, luxury coupé at Monterey Car Week in California. The nearly six-metre-long concept pays homage to the extravagantly styled aero coupés of the early 1900s while also showcasing a modern vision for the German carmaker.

 

The Vision Maybach 6 showcases a powerful electric drive system being developed by Mercedes for use in a range of new zero-emission models. The four-wheel-drive concept car is powered by an 80kWh lithium-ion battery that employs four electric motors to produce a combined 748.23hp. The concept is claimed to have an overall range of up to 498.89km on the European test procedure.

 

The one-off coupé reinterprets many classic Maybach design themes while incorporating elements of the brand’s latest design lineage, as first previewed on the IAA (Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile) at last year’s Frankfurt motor show.

 

The Vision Maybach 6’s striking chrome grille is modelled on past Maybach models and is set to appear on future models in a bid to further distinguish them from their Mercedes siblings. On the Vision Maybach 6, it is incorporated into a large front bumper that also houses distinctive thin-lined LED headlights and a heavily contoured lower section with blade-like air ducts that feed cooling air to the front brakes. The concept also has gullwing doors, hinging upwards from the roof, to provide easy access to the interior.  

 

At the rear, is a boat-tail design, similar to that of the Mercedes IAA concept. It aims to provide the coupé with excellent aerodynamic properties without the need for an additional spoiler. The rear features a shallow rear window, plunging boot line, narrow horizontally mounted LED tail-lights, vertical ducts to extract air from the rear wheel arches, and an integrated diffuser. The concept car also gets 24-inch wheels that feature transparent body-coloured covers.

 

As with the rival Rolls-Royce Vision 100 concept unveiled in London earlier this year, the Vision Maybach 6 incorporates a luggage compartment underneath its long bonnet.

 

Inside, the Vision Maybach 6 has a wraparound dashboard and seats that monitor the vital functions of their occupants. Mercedes describes it as a 360-degree lounge that provides accommodation for up to four in a 2+2 layout. The concept also allows the driver to switch between manual and fully autonomous driving modes, but no further details on this have been revealed yet. 

 

The Vision Maybach 6 hints at plans by Mercedes to build on its upmarket Maybach range with a new Rolls-Royce Wraith-rivalling coupé. Inside sources have also told our sister publication Autocar UK, that such a car could be assembled by a new bespoke coach-building operation to provide customers of its higher-end models with greater freedom in customising their cars.