A RIDE FIT FOR CRUELLA
Mercedes’ Maybach 6 concept is a vision of a future automobile
FINALLY, an answer to that age old question: what would Cruella de Vil drive if she was still around hunting dalmatian puppies today?
Surely the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6, a concept vehicle on display at last week’s Pebble Beach car show, was tailor made for that evil Disney villain. Yes, we said concept. Obviously. The features integrated into this six-metre long grand tourer are just about as much fantasy as Cruella herself. But, as always, some of these farfetched items could be precursors to inclusions in real-world road cars around the corner.
Okay, six metres is a slight exaggeration. It’s really only 5.7 metres long. Still, that’s almost 350mm longer than a long wheelbase S-Class, and that car has four doors. The Vision only has two, so most of its cartoonish dimension is made up by a phallic, bordering on obscene, nose section.
This kind of styling, where the passenger compartment sits waaaay rearward behind a very long bonnet, was commonplace in the 1920s to early ‘50s. But then, it was necessary because the engines powering these grandiose machines were often insanely long themselves. A Deusenberg Model J, for instance, was fitted with a 7-litre straight-eight Lycoming aircraft engine.
Interestingly, Mercedes says the Vision 6 and its gullwing doors is not of retro design, and is rather a reinterpretation of classic aesthetics. And here we thought that was the very definition of retro. Whatever you say, Merc.
So what sort of mechanical leviathan lies beneath the concept’s outstretched snout? A modern straight-eight? Or a V12 perhaps? Maybe a V16? Nope, under this hood you’ll find nothing but a luggage compartment with two custom-made diamond quilted trolley suitcases. Clearly the term downsizing doesn’t feature in Maybach’s lexicon.
The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 is actually an electric car, and its power source - an 80 kWh battery - is positioned low in the floor. Each wheel gets its own electric motor, and a total output of 550kW means 100km/h comes up in under four seconds. Mercedes also claims a range of over 500km, though that’s very unlikely with regular testing of that impressive acceleration figure.
Recharging can be done in the same way as your average Nissan Leaf - either by public charging dock or via domestic outlet and cord. But, a more exciting method involves wireless top-ups with an electromagnetic field. Pity Mercedes-Maybach hasn’t explained this in more detail.
Inside things get really wild. The centre tunnel where a transmission normally goes is instead a transparent tube which visualises the flow of electricity. One continuous glass screen runs the width of the dashboard and extends into the doors where things like front seat settings and rear-views (with images relayed from exterior cameras) are shown on each side, and the windscreen serves as part of the infotainment centre displaying things like map data with augmented reality-type readouts controlled by hand gestures.
High-end materials such as rose gold are used to create a rich atmosphere, and open-pore elm is laid in the floor for a sort of luxury yacht feeling. The Maybach’s seats are covered with white leather (dalmatian fur is not an option) in a modern take on old-school Chesterfield style, but the upholstery buttons are actually body sensors to monitor passengers’ vital signs. This data is then used to adjust climate settings, mood lighting and massage functions automatically.
So what, if anything, can we take from this imposing coupé concept? A whole lot, probably. First and foremost the Vision 6 likely foreshadows a two-door Maybach to sell alongside its existing limousine range. Augmented reality windscreens and body-sensing seats are in our opinion a long way off, but cameras instead of wing mirrors and new battery recharging methods could be inclusions in cars just around the corner. The silent nature of fully-electric cars could also be a perfect fit for this epicurean brand. Follow me on Twitter @PoorBoyLtd