What’s nicer than a bespoke be-all-and-end-all touring or performance car? A turnkey bespoke be-all-and-end-all touring or performance car. The logic of fulfilling a desire for bespoke by electing a pre-existing design may be spurious, but such themes, when applied to high-end cars as a limited-edition offering, inevitably sell very well.

As it happens, the designers at a company like Mercedes-Benz happen to be rather adept at coming up with themes for limited-edition variants. The recipe is one part demographic insight, one part manipulation of same, and one part toffee-nosed arrival. The newest is a concept that’s intended to be a last word in touring cars (take that Rolls and Bentley), and it comes from the company’s Maybach division. It’s called the Haute Voiture.

Haute Voiture? They mean haute couture. Well, call it high-end RTR. That’s OK, it looks pretty swanky, right down to its gold-studded console. Based on the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, it sports white Nappa upholstery and trim in a pattern that looks something like digital houndstooth, as well as a white lacquered dash contrasted with a gold accent line, and a one-off version of MBUX visuals: celestial confetti and a Lady Day bloom with gold accents. And, of course, two-tone Maybach frosting.

This is a touring car, after all, and a fancy edition, so it also comes with a set of luggage. Unsurprisingly, the bags are made using the Haute Voiture’s cabin textiles and leather. Mercedes indicated that the set will be available next year.