With so much sheet metal, it can be tricky to get everything to look right, but Mercedes seems to have done nicely with this concept. Overall, the car’s long nose and short deck are reminiscent of the Mercedes-AMG GT, and the long, tapering tail and lights are similar to that of the Mercedes-AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept from a few years ago. Capping off the front of the Mercedes-Maybach 6 is a proud, prominent grille that the company claims was inspired by a pinstripe suit. At each corner are 24-inch wheels with transparent panels based on the transforming, aerodynamic wheels of the Concept IAA Mercedes previously showed.
“Our glamorous coupé, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6, represents the ultimate in contemporary luxury. It is hot and cool”, states Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Daimler AG. “With its intelligent appeal and reduced, technoid look, it perfectly embodies our design philosophy of sensual purity and our pursuit of aerodynamic efficiency.”
Aesthetic principles
With its sensual, emotional design (“hot”) and intelligent details (“cool”), the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 represents the ultimate in luxury. The classic aesthetic proportions of the show car – the incredibly long bonnet, the low roofline and the rearward positioning of the greenhouse – recall the aero coupés of days gone by. But this is not retro design – this is a reinterpretation of classic, aesthetic principles.
The exterior design
Clearly defined contours and organically formed wings stand in contrast to the sharply drawn, extended feature line on each side which defines the upper vehicle body from the radiator grille across the entire length of the vehicle to the rear. There is also a striking contrast between the Maybach red paintwork and the chrome strips which sit above the wheel arches and in the centre of the bonnet and boot lid. A reinterpretation of the Mercedes-Maybach radiator grille with its elegant, vertical struts accentuates the front end. The extended, round “boat tail” format of the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6’s rear recalls a luxury yacht.
The interior as luxurious 360° lounge
The front windscreen serves as a transparent display: driving-related data and geographical information are shown across its full width, augmenting the outside world with additional information. This information can be controlled and adjusted by the occupants using gestures. The dashboard wing curves across the door trim into the seating landscape, creating a 360° lounge.
The sitting surface forms a horizontal, which transitions into the vertical of the doors and finally becomes the underside of the dashboard wing. In the doors and dashboard, the traditional wood trim softens the appearance of the digital control and display interfaces. As a contrast to the digital world of the displays, elm is used in the floor area, creating a refined yachting look.
Typical sports car performance
The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 is designed as an electric car. Thanks to its four compact permanent magnet synchronous electric motors, it features all-wheel drive. The output of the drive system is 550 kW (750 PS). The shallow underfloor battery has a usable capacity of approx. 80 kWh. This not only allows performance characteristics typical of a sports car (acceleration from 0‑100 km/h in under four seconds, top speed electronically governed at 250 km/h) but also a range of over 500 kilometres according to the NEDC (over 200 miles according to EPA).
With its impressive dimensions, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 is the first luxury coupé in the series of visionary design show cars from Mercedes-Benz.
With its impressive dimensions, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 (length/width/height: 5700/2100/1328 millimetres) is the first luxury coupé in the series of visionary design show cars from Mercedes-Benz.
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