Geousphere

MAYBACH LUXURY CARS TO BE DISCONTINUED – DAIMLER AG. MERCEDES-BENZ S600 PULLMAN TO REPLACE THE FLAGSHIP LIMO

Mercedes-Benz is finally pulling the plug on the Maybach ultra-luxury brand after the sales of these cars failed to improve. The loss making unit will be discontinued by 2013, this according to Daimler AG- the owners of the brand. Maybach will be replaced by the Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman. The car maker had revealed news plans for the S-Class range of limousines a few weeks back. The next generation of the S-Class will be offered in different body styles including a four-seat convertible which will replace the CL-Class.

A stretched limousine based on the new S-Class is also planned. The new model will be called the S600 Pullman which replaces the Maybach 57 and Maybach 62 models. The car maker did try to revive the brand by collaborating with British sports car maker Aston Martin. This last ditch attempt by the German car maker did not yield the expected results and finally the management had to call off the operations. Thus, the Maybach, an uber-luxurious limousine which has been around since decades will seize to exist.

However, the legacy of the brand will still be fresh in the hearts of the aficionados. The latest version of the Maybach had spawned into a 6.2 meter limo and an exclusive limousine with a targa roof as well. Under the hood of the new S600 Pullman will most likely be a V12 engine that will compete with other brands like Bentley and Rolls Royce. Bentley’s Mulsanne and the Rolls Royce Phantom will be the main rivals of the S600. Meanwhile, the Rolls Royce Coupe and Drophead Coupe will take on the convertible avataar of the S-Class.

Instead of Maybach as a trim level though, the company is planning on bringing back another moniker form the past -  The Pullman.

Look for the new S600 Pullman to echo those commanding lines, with a front-end design that has vertical headlights. It’ll be interesting to see how retro Mercedes goes with it; there is a lot of possibilities to be had tapping into the car’s rich heritage. Vertical lighting has been toyed with in Mercedes concepts to great effect. The direction Mercedes styling is going right now fits in perfectly with bringing back the Pullman as well.