Report: Mercedes to Eliminate Maybach Brand by 2014
Resurrected in 2002 as a way for Mercedes to take on rival BMW’s newly acquired Rolls-Royce brand, Maybach has been a sales flop and now Mercedes appears ready to finally admit as much. According to a report by AutoExpress, Mercedes will give the Maybach models a slight update (set to be revealed at the Shanghai Auto Show) this year before winding the brand down towards 2014.
Why 2014? Well, that just happens to be the year that the next-generation S-Class is due out, meaning that Mercedes will then look to take some S-Class models further up-market. The 2014 S-Class should also get some impressive technology and AutoExpress claims it will be one of the most technologically sophisticated machines ever built. The rather tabloid-like outlet is also reporting that Mercedes has even approved the Human Machine Interface (HMI) as seen on the F800 Style concept. The HMI system works somewhat like something you might have seen in the Tom Cruise film Minority Report, using a screen and a camera to turn hand movements into actions, such as zooming in on a map with just a gesture of the hand.
Sound a little too futuristic? Well, 2014 is still a long way off.
[Source: AutoExpress]
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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With the new S-class coming in 2014 they should call it "Mercedes-Bens S 600 Maybach" for their top of the range model. With that branding the Maybach will sell.
i suppose no amount of lipsticks or earrings will make this Piggy look purty. in reality the Maybach is a S Klasse painted with high gloss lipstick, but sold 3x the mulla. Merc should have bought RR or Bentley when it was on the block. And allowed Bimmer Vee Dub to snatch it up.