click above to view more high-resolution images of the Maybach 62 Laundaulet

Lord help us, for the automotive industry has sunk to a new low. As if it wasn't bad enough that Maybach created an ode to conspicuous consumption like the 62 Landaulet, but now Mercedes' big, goofy brother has decided to put the thing into production.

Following a spat of rumors, Maybach initially unveiled the half limo/half convertible/half marshmallow in Dubai this past November, and then laid it on us in person at the Detroit show. It starts with the Maybach 62 S and then peeled off half the roof like a can of sardines and slathered whitewash all over the thing. Unfortunately, as we could see by the yellow Cayenne we showed you yesterday, money and taste don't always go together, and Daimler seems content to separate the former from those who don't have the latter. The reported list price rivals the concept itself for sheer lunacy: $1.19 million. That's an unfathomable $756k premium over the $433,750 list price for a 2008 Maybach 62 S, though we've found conflicting reports that it will start at £350,000 or around $685,000 USD. We'd like to speak to any potential customers considering buying a Maybach 62 Laundaulet about this bucket of extremely rare sand that we're offering for a very reasonable price.

We've added some new official high-res images of the 62 Laundaulet to our gallery of live shots from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show below.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Gallery: Maybach 62 Landaulet

Maybach to put 62 Landaulet into production originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

click above for more high-res images of the Maybach Lanaulet

If you'd rather be driven by a chauffeur than get behind the wheel yourself, you might want to check out the Maybach Landaulet that made its North American debut in Detroit this week. The half sedan/half convertible allows for the driver's compartment to be completely closed while the passengers in the rear can enjoy open top motoring. The sky isn't the only luxury available - passengers are treated to supple white leather seating and a full entertainment system with a DVD player 6-disc CD changer, dual television screens, and even a compartment to hold a bottle of champagne and goblets. The rear seats also recline, meaning you can lie back, listen to some tunes, and enjoy the fresh air while you sip on your drink. We'd love a test drive ride, but in some place a little warmer than Detroit.

Gallery: Maybach 62 Landaulet

Continue reading Detroit 2008: Maybach Landaulet arrives in style

Detroit 2008: Maybach Landaulet arrives in style originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading VIDEO: Maybach 62 S Landaulet

VIDEO: Maybach 62 S Landaulet originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Maybach 62 Landaulet

Continue reading Maybach 62 Landaulet unveiled

Maybach 62 Landaulet unveiled originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Nov 2007 23:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Even in the post-Chrysler age, Maybach remains a bit of a thorn in Mercedes' side. Its vehicles have been far less than the sales success hoped for, prompting Daimler to buy back 29 Maybach dealers. Subsequently the parent company wouldn't be so eager to invest more into the ultra-premium brand, but reports are circulating the internet of a new version that would require significantly less investment than an all-new model that could breathe a little more life into the dying breed.

Landaulets were a popular bodystyle in the 1920's and 30's, one which Maybach may be resurrecting with a half-convertible version of the extra-long Maybach 62. With a convertible roof fitted from the B-pillar rearwards, the Maybach 62 Landaulet would let the sun shine in on its pampered rear occupants, while leaving the front section covered with a conventional roof for the chauffer.

Reports indicate that the Landaulet version is being prepared for launch at next month's Middle East International Motor Show, held mid-November in Dubai, where some eccentric and moneyed sheiks might still be interested in the unique vehicles.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Enter the rumormill: Maybach 62 Laundaulet headed for Middle East debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above to jump to our high-resolution image gallery

Innovations in retractable hard-tops come from what could very well be the broadest range of sources in the industry. The complex retractable roof systems are sometimes designed and developed by the automakers themselves, sometimes by specialists like ASC, sometimes from design houses like Fioravanti (whose flip-top made it onto the Ferrari Superamerica), and sometimes they're even made by independent garages (like this Mustang we brought you earlier). This system, perhaps the most innovative to date, was designed by component manufacturer Magna Steyr and showcased in the MILA Future concept.

The roof is an ingenious four-in-one system that transforms from a fixed roof into a full convertible, a targa or a "landaulet" with the rear window retracted. The system is comprised of the roof section, the rear decklid (with integrated B and C pillar buttresses) and the retractable rear window glass, and is designed to optimize trunk space.

The concept was apparently displayed at the huge Geneva show a couple weeks ago, but with all the manufacturers' press conferences running with typical Swiss precision, we unfortunately missed it. You can, however, check out the images of the car in various states of openness in the gallery as well as the press release after the jump.

[Source: Magna Steyr via Carscoop]

Gallery: Magna Steyr MILA Future concept

Continue reading Swiss Army Roof: Magna Steyr MILA Future

Swiss Army Roof: Magna Steyr MILA Future originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Mar 2007 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.