Maybach 57 S in a Shining White Livery Revealed

At the 78th International Motor Show in Paris, Maybach is presenting its Model 57 S in a shining white paint finish for the first time. In this way the tradition-laden German luxury brand is meeting the desire of one of its customers for even more individuality. In standard trim the sporty and luxurious Model 57 S is only available with a single-tone paint finish in either black or silver. The shining new "Antiqua White" finish impressively emphasises the dynamic character of this high-end luxury saloon, whose outstanding performance potential particularly captures the enthusiasm of passionate owner-drivers.

The white paint finish of the 57 S is applied in multiple layers by experienced specialists using a highly involved process – there are almost twice as many layers than is usual for other luxury cars. In contrast to conventional paint finishes using just one base paint to provide the colour tone, two different paints are necessary to achieve this incomparable, mother-of-pearl-like sheen – one of these contains mica. This highlighting material is responsible for the particular sheen of the paint finish, which varies slightly depending on the lighting angle and shines especially brightly in sunlight. The paint layers are mainly applied by hand, and several additional layers of clearcoat ensure a highly resistant finish.

"Antiqua White" is available to customers on request, as part of the more than two million Maybach individualisation options.

Source: WCF

This model is aimed at the Arab market for sure. I've never been excited by the Maybach not like I am by the RR Phantom.

The interior of this car is starting to look pretty dated, wonder when Maybach will give this car a F/L!

It is looking a little bit dated when compared to the BMW 7er or S class. There are a few aspects of the interior that have always irritated me in the Maybach. Firstly, I do not like the elliptical door handle/seat-control clusters ...they age the design a great deal IMO. Secondly, I hate the "soft leather" of the standard Maybach models ...the upholstery on the 57 S model improves the ambiance of the interior enormously; and thirdly, the shapes of the wood panels on the doors are unnecessarily fussy and in my opinion unattractive ...the overall impression of the interior reminds me of those mass-produced recreational boat interiors. It is a similar style of interior you see in corporate jets -- the old S class's interior was also like that, and the E class's still is.

I have a feeling Maybach doesn't know what to do with the 57 or 62 at this point. They've resorted to the oldest trick in the book, lots of special editions and fancy colors, but choice and personalization aren't the Maybach's problems. The part that has to hurt is that these care likely the best cars in the world, yet non of the rich seem to care. I mean it is built on the uber-tank W140 chassis and updated with modern tech and the best materials and outpowers anything else with 4-doors and yet few buyers. If the original faction that wanted this Maybach are still employed at MB they've likely been demoted to working on the next C-Class.

M

One problem is the super-rich today are not as fussed about these types of vehicles as they used to be. There was a time when the super-rich would commission vehicles entirely to there own specifications (like the coachbuilt Rolls-Royces I have posted in the past) but automobiles are no longer really such status symbols as they used to be. These types of vehicles are bought as luxury items rather than as an everyday means of transport -- for most of the world's richest individuals, commissioning a Maybach would never be as thrilling as taking delivery of a new Lürssen mega-yacht or Gulfstream jet. It would seem most very wealthy people prefer something less conspicuous, like a Luxury SUV or S class/BMW 7. If individuals in this market want to indulge themselves, they would more likely buy a supercar than an ultra-luxury car.

I think the market has changed at this level of the market; however, the market below the Phantom and Maybach is very buoyant ....the people in the second tier of the world's rich do still buy luxury cars as status symbols -- they view luxury cars in a different context to the people at the most plutocratic end of society. So while they are stuck in traffic sitting in the pleasant luxury their S600s, the world's most powerful people are flying overhead in their Sikorskys.

If you owned one of these, a Maybach or Phantom wouldn't seem all that exciting.

This is the ugliest car MB have ever built. I saw a Maybach on the streets in Geneva. The car has tons of presence but its very ugly to look at. Not that the RR is a beauty either but it looks a lot better than this.

Well perhaps that is a little unfair Just_me, the 57 S can look pretty stunning -- look at it in this picture. I think it looks very good here.

^^
Yepp the S57 looks best in black. That is the only MM I'm interested in.

Well the 62's proportions are really ungainly and could be described as ugly, but not the 57 or specifically the 57S. It is what the 57 should have been since day one.

M