In the upper automotive firmament, somewhere above mundane Mercedes exists stratospheric Maybach, and somewhere above stratospheric Maybach is the celestial Haute Voiture, a new, limited-edition expression of the custom-tailored from the aristocratic and historic German marque.
Mercedes-Maybach announced the model last spring, and with its gold-enhanced console, white lacquer dashboard, bouclé fabric and white Nappa leather upholstery, and linen/mohair mats, it made a strong visual impression. Dressed in a classically Maybach two-tone exterior of nautical blue and rose gold, it seemed the figurehead of the brand.
This month, the Haute Voiture was rolled out at a fashion show in Dubai, with a photo shoot that captured a crepuscular moonlit desert landscape; featuring the model in a quasi-lunar visual field was no accident. And although the name’s fashion-world associations may be slightly misleading — with its 150-example run, the Haute Voiture is absolutely off-the-rack — the model is certainly of the rarified stratum. If the metaphor must be fashion-world, think of it as a hand-stitched vicuna topcoat.
Essentially a be-all-and-end-all S-Class, the Haute Voiture is, to quote the oddly clumsy Merc press release, ‘built using finest materials with the most craftsmanship’. The Haute Voiture is also a crossover item intended to burnish Maybach as a lifestyle brand, however, as the automaker also informs that a luggage collection ushers in the special variant, with availability online and through the ‘Maybach Icons of Luxury’ boutiques. Although Bentley takes point among the blue-blooded super-touring automotive brands on lifestyle marketing — the estimable British firm now has condos in a residential high-rise in Miami to sell, as well as numerous furnishings, apparel items and accessories — Maybach’s cachet makes it a natural for such an umbrella approach.
As for the power and tech of the Haute Voiture: it’s basically top-tier S-Class…that is, an S 680. It packs the company’s most esteemed gas burner — a 6.0L V12 biturbo — that makes 621 horsepower, as well as a 9G-TRONIC 9-speed automatic gearbox. The MBUX system features custom visuals that suggest starlight and rose-colored glasses. Pitch-perfect.
