[footie]

AutomotiveWorld.com
Wednesday, December 22rd 2010


According to a report in Germany's Auto Zeitung publication, a new version of Daimler's Maybach limousine is likely to use development assistance and parts from Gaydon, UK-based Aston Martin.

The report indicates that talks on cooperation are well underway and that Daimler has already commissioned a mock-up of the new car which could feature at the Frankfurt Car Show in September 2011. Daimler, which owns Maybach, has declined to comment on the report.

Auto Zeitung cited an unnamed Daimler executive close to the project as saying that by working with Aston Martin, the cost of developing the new Maybach car could be halved.

Despite what have been described as "sluggish" sales, Daimler has denied persistent rumours that it was planning to drop the Maybach. The limousine range is intended to compete with BMW's Rolls-Royce marque and was given a minor makeover for the 2010 season.

Maybach still has only one model to offer, seven years after the marque was revived. The 57- and 62-series cars are expected to continue in production until 2013, at which time the Maybach division has been expected to be either abandoned or relaunched. Should the business case for the latter option prevail, a successor to the 57/62 was expected to be based upon the next Mercedes-Benz S-Class, with a lower priced rival ('Maybach 53') also developed to compete with the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

At the opposite end of the product spectrum, Aston Martin has recently confirmed that the Cygnet city car that debuted at Geneva earlier in 2010 as a concept will enter production in 2011 at the company's Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire, UK. The four-seater is based on Toyota's iQ and will reportedly be supplied to Aston Martin by the Japanese OEM and then fitted out with distinctive Aston Martin features.

In 2007, Aston Martin was sold to a consortium of two major international investment houses, Investment Dar and Adeem Investment, led by Prodrive chairman David Richards, having been owned by Ford from 1994 and being part of that OEM's Premier Automotive Group from 2000.

Such a linkup would probably give the Maybach it's true independence from using a Mercedes platform and an air of exclusivity that Aston Martin/Bentley/Rolls Royce and the likes presently enjoy. This possible linkup can only benefit Aston Martin too as it will allow then to share Mercedes engines which are among the finest there are.

[EmmettBrown]

wow im pretty excited to see what they can come up with

[MikeyV]

Originally Posted by footie

Such a linkup would probably give the Maybach it's true independence from using a Mercedes platform and an air of exclusivity that Aston Martin/Bentley/Rolls Royce and the likes presently enjoy.

Well that comment doesn't make a lot of sense, the Bently Continental family are built on VW mechanicals and the Rolls uses BMW based engines and on the baby Roller the chassis is derived from the 7, Astons V8 & V12 are variants of Ford's Duratech and Jaguars AJ engine series, and are built in Ford's Niehl engine plant in Cologne, so much for exclusivity, certainly no more than Maybach.

[KingOfJericho]

I don't know how exclusive a Bentley really is. I see those thing all over the place.

[footie]

Originally Posted by MikeyV

Well that comment doesn't make a lot of sense, the Bently Continental family are built on VW mechanicals and the Rolls uses BMW based engines and on the baby Roller the chassis is derived from the 7, Astons V8 & V12 are variants of Ford's Duratech and Jaguars AJ engine series, and are built in Ford's Niehl engine plant in Cologne, so much for exclusivity, certainly no more than Maybach.

It's the perception of exclusivity and uniquness that Rolls, Bentley and Aston have over the Maybach, not only that but only the Maybach out of this list has definite styling pointers to it's donar car and that's it's main problem. When you look at the baby Rolls you don't see a 7series, nor do you see a Phaeton when you look at a Bentley.

The Maybach may well be a brilliant machine but it's not unique enough compared to the competition, well in my mind anyway.

[335iMIAMI]

Originally Posted by footie

It's the perception of exclusivity and uniquness that Rolls, Bentley and Aston have over the Maybach, not only that but only the Maybach out of this list has definite styling pointers to it's donar car and that's it's main problem. When you look at the baby Rolls you don't see a 7series, nor do you see a Phaeton when you look at a Bentley.

The Maybach may well be a brilliant machine but it's not unique enough compared to the competition, well in my mind anyway.

I agree , always thought the maybach looked way too much like an S. And because of this I thought it was overpriced.