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| On the road Maybach 57 S: perfection is of this world!By E. Boucher Large black limousines and hushed interiors, glasses of champagne and closed curtains, the realm of ultra-luxury is more concerned with comfort and status than sporty driving. A stereotype that the 612 hp bi-turbo V12 engine and incredible performance of the Maybach 57 S have shattered.  © Maybach "Maybach Variations"From LVMH to Chanel, from Burberry to Bentley, the luxury sector is doing well, often reporting growth in two figures. However, at almost £300,000 a pop, Maybachs don't sell quite as well as Montblanc pens. The figures remain confidential, but there are an estimated 1,500 Maybachs in circulation throughout the world. In Europe, it is highly unlikely that you will come across a Maybach outside South Kensington or the Place Vendôme, Davos or Marbella; so a look at the main features of this flagship of the DaimlerChrysler Group would not be amiss.  The Maybach is available in two versions: the 57, a "short" limousine 5.70 m long, and the 62 which, as its name implies, measures 6.20 m, thereby a good metre more than a "mere" S-Class. Comfort in the back of a 62 is equivalent to travelling first class on a long-haul flight; moreover Air France uses the same parts manufacturer for the seats. They can be reclined completely without your feet touching the back of the driver's seat. And that is the difference between a 62 and a 57 in a nutshell. The former is purchased by people allowing themselves the services of a chauffeur, whilst the latter is driven by its owners with, it seems, pleasure beyond compare, encouraging some of them to call for a version with a more spirited temperament. Now they have it with the 57 S, which garners performance worthy of a great sports car. "One man, one engine"The main novelty of this model is its engine, even more powerful than the engines offered to date: a 6-litre bi-turbo V12 delivering 612 hp. As for torque - available over a wide range of engine speeds between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm - it is a flabbergasting 1,000 Nm. Even if the beast is stuffed with the most sumptuous materials and weighs over 2.7 tonnes, engine pick-up is dazzling, with acceleration from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 5 seconds. Better than the new Jaguar XK, and as good as a Porsche 911 Carrera.  Paradoxically, the originality of this exceptional engine is perhaps less due to its technological performance than to the fact that it is a unique, "handmade" unit. The engines are in effect mounted at the Mercedes-AMG factory and, as with every handmade item, priority is given to quality of workmanship. Thus each part is assembled by just one technician, respecting the motto "one man, one engine". Every unit is signed, marked in the manner of a Boulle chest of drawers or Riesener secretaire (on the photo opposite, you can read on the engine: "Exclusively handcrafted by Walter Moritz"). Tailor-made tyresThe weight/performance ratio of the Maybach 57 S makes for extreme tread constraints, worthy of the competition.  Made-to-measure tyres were therefore a must: although the 20-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 2 was chosen, it was adapted in order to transmit all the power whilst retaining a large margin of safety. It is the first tyre in the world to have a tread made of two different blends, giving it optimum efficiency on dry and wet roads alike. On dry roads, in curves, the grip bears almost exclusively on the outside shoulder of the tyre and makes it possible to corner at high speed, even with considerable transverse acceleration. On wet roads, the ground profile moves to the centre and inside edge of the tread, where the silica support is greater, enabling better grip. On winding roads, sporty cars such as the 57 S are subject to high centrifugal forces, which prevent the tyre from being in contact with the ground over the entire tread, thereby reducing its efficiency. To compensate for this effect, the Michelin Pilot Sport 2 benefits from VCP (Variable Contact Patch) technology: the area of contact changes according to the load. All in all, the Pilot Sport 2 combines advantages which are normally distributed between different tyres. As for suspension, it is firmer than on the other Maybachs, and the axle stabiliser bars have been modified in order to reduce roll by 15%. The dynamism and road holding are exemplary for a car of this size, with no compromise on comfort, however its beauty does not make you completely forget the weight. Luxury and discretion Admittedly with the Maybach we are in the realm of very high luxury, but the sporty positioning of the 57 S leans more towards a refined dynamism than towards ostentatious display. Outside, the sombre colours - Arabic Black and Nevada Silver - inspire respect. The incredible power of the 57 S nevertheless expresses itself by some stretching of convention: a more aggressive grille, low-slung body, oversized wheels. Inside, likewise, the designers have favoured sporty looks that are somewhat unexpected in a saloon of this calibre: black lacquer and carbon trim in place of the traditional gleaming wood panelling... Natürlich, the managers at Maybach intimate that when it comes to placing an order, there is just one rule: "everything is possible". If you prefer inserts of precious wood or want gold trim instead of chrome. Kein Problem!  As a matter of fact we would like to explore this subject further, find out a few secrets about the whims of the well-off: our interlocutors hesitate, torn between their duty of confidentiality and the desire to please, indeed perhaps even impress us. So they whisper to us in a mixture of German, French and international English that it is not rare for clients to ask to personalise their car with their initials or coats of arms. What else? They murmur that when ordering a Maybach 62, purchasers as a rule go to Sindelfingen - the marque's headquarters - with their chauffeurs acting as technical adviser. Lastly they cautiously disclose the story of the Russian oligarch who had a revolving minibar installed in the spare wheel compartment, with a remote control enabling him to select his favourite vodka. And the Asian maestro who wanted a mirror as a partition to separate him from the driver, in order to refine his orchestra conducting. We would have liked a few names. Trade secret!
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