- Effortless twin-turbo V12 performance
- Opulent interior
- Comfortable, cossetting ride
- Quiet, well-insulated cabin
- Ungainly styling
- Weight blunts agility and fuel economy
Overview
Released in Australia March 2004, the Maybach V240 62 was a prestige limousine. Manufactured in Sindelfingen, Germany, the rear-wheel drive Maybach 62 was powered by a 5.5-litre twin turbocharged V12 petrol engine that was mated to a five-speed automatic transmission.
The Maybach brand was created by DaimlerChrysler AG (now Daimler AG) to compete with Rolls-Royce and Bentley. As such, the Maybach 62 – and the closely-related Maybach 57 – were based on the Mercedes-Benz W140 S-Class, with the model names referring to the length of the vehicles in decimetres (6160 mm and 5723 mm, respectively).
Engine
The 5.5-litre M285 E55 V12 petrol engine had an aluminium block and cylinder head, aluminium-silicon (silitec) lined cylinders, facture-split forged steel connecting rods, twin turbochargers providing maximum boost pressure of 1.3 bar (18.9 psi), a single overhead camshaft (per cylinder bank), three valves per cylinder, twin-speak ignition, four knock sensors and a compression ratio of 9.0:1.
Dimensions and suspension
The Maybach 62 was 6165 mm long, 1980 mm wide, 1557 mm tall and had a 3827 mm long wheelbase; kerb weight was 2735 kg. Furthermore, the 62 had double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension with Mercedes-Benz’s ‘AIRMATIC DC’ electronically-controlled air springs and Adaptive Damping System (‘ADS’) which automatically adjusted the shock absorber damping according to road conditions.
| Years | Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maybach 62 | 2004-10 | 5.5-litre twin turbo petrol V12 | 5sp auto | 405 kW at 5250 rpm | 900 Nm at 2300-3000 rpm |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the Maybach 62 included dual front airbags, front and rear side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.
The 62 was also fitted with ‘Sensotronic Brake Control’ (SBC); in emergency situations, SBC could instantly increase braking pressure in the brake lines so that they could provide maximum braking force when the brake pedal was depressed.
Features
Standard features for the Maybach 62 included 19-inch alloy wheels, COMAND APS (Cockpit Management and Data Auto Pilot System) with a 21 speaker sound system, six-disc CD changer, DVD player and satellite navigation system, four-zone climate control air conditioning, eighteen-way power adjustable and ventilated front seats, fourteen-way power adjustable and reclining rear seats, heated front and rear seats, driver’s seat massage function, leather upholstery, cruise control with radar detection (‘Distronic’), bi-xenon headlights with washers, front fog lights, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, reversing camera, rear parking sensors, a wood/leather steering wheel, voice recognition (‘Linguatronic’), remote central locking, power windows, power mirrors with heating and folding functions, a power adjustable steering column (for height and reach), automatically dipping mirrors on reverse, a power sunroof, in-car phone, television tuner, trip computer and an immobiliser.
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