DaimlerChrysler is planning to extend its Maybach luxury car range with the 53, or "baby Maybach", as sales of the bigger 57 and 62 are poor so far. While Maybach planned to sell some 1,000 units in 2003, only about 80 or so were actually sold.
The "baby" Maybach is to change that, and it will share its platform with the next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class and will be differentiated by its super-opulent interior and exterior detailing. The term "baby" must, of course, be seen in context: with an overall length of 5.3 metres the car isn’t exactly a small one.
Although rumours persist of a Maybach four-seater convertible with a retractable metal roof – the DaimlerChrysler rival to the Phantom-based Rolls-Royce 100EX – the car recently spotted testing at the Nurburgring looked distinctly saloon-like.
It was undergoing tests with the next-generation S-Class, due in 2005. The new S-Class will have a longer wheelbase, wider rear doors, and cabin
quality and comfort will be stepped up to put some clear ground between it and the E-Class. The engine range will include supercharged V8s and the Maybach's 500bhp bi-turbo V12, twinned with new seven-speed gearboxes, but word is that there will be no six-cylinder engines next
time around.