WOW...I had almost forgotten how sexy the concept's interior was...I hate MB, why can't they get it right in their production cars?

Remember SLR's (concept) interior? It was the best concept car interior ever...and see how horrible it is right now...

The Carbon Fibre trim looks so horridly out of place in that 57S you'd think it was a West Coast Customs job. The Maybach cabin is the height of "contemporary stately." Could you imagine Carbon Fibre trim in your study or den? Well, you shouldn't, nor should it be anywhere near a Maybach.

Why not throw a turbo-timer on the dash for good measure?

LOL .....don't tempt them.

I totally agree with you. The Maybach is supposed to be a luxury mansion. That's like putting CF framing around the Mona Lisa.

Personally, I think that wood can look tasteful if it suits the car. For example, dark blue exterior, walnut and beige leather looks very sophisticated on an E90. Silver exterior, black leather and alu trim looks sporty on the exact same car. Granted, these are rather "boring" combos, but they work. CF or red trim, now that doesn't work.

I agree that the 57S shouldn't have CF on it. Surely they can convey 'sporting' in a car in some other way? Even aluminium or black piano wood (though I agree with Robert that it does have limited emotional qualities - really, what's the difference between black piano wood and hard, black plastic?) would have been better. CF has no place in a car that weighs more than 2 tonnes.

On the other hand, that Maybach concept is quite good. I think it works because the wood isn't your typical 'luxo' burr walnut, polished to a plasticky shine; nor is it in the usual places or usual shapes (in slabs on the front of the dash and along the doors), but instead is in unusual shapes and places, like those long triangular pieces on either side of the centre console.

I am still firmly of the opinion that wood has a good part to play in the interiors of cars, no less than it has a part to play in furniture of any ohter sort, contemporary or not. It looks good and has a warm, tactile quality. So, all they have to do is find new wood grains, and maybe leave some of the tactile quality in, instead of polishing it up so much.

Plus, I love the look and the idea of the blue stingray leather that you put up, Robert. Very modern. However, I'm not sure I like the idea of those poor stingrays being hunted for their skins..

That's very green and humane of you SV ....actually I kind of agree with you on that.

Galuchat


I agree with you about the Maybach's interior - you can of course still have burr Walnut and Amboyna wood - but I have always preferred the cherrywood/piano wood combination - usually I'm not a big fan of cherrywood but it looks really good in the Maybach.

Wood is more oltimer than youthful and contemporary, the latter I identify with(for obvious reasons) more so than the former. If I had my way I'd have aluminum or carbon fiber in all my cars. My car right now has simulated burl walnut(not very pleasing, so easy to discern simulated wood).

Deutsch, what makes you feel that wood is "oldtimer"? ....and why do you feel that aluminium is more youthful ?

CF is essentially man-made and was never intended to be used as a decorative material - it is intersting that people see CF as some kind of high-tech status symbol.

Right on the money ol' chap. The idea of using CF as a decorative "status material" comes out of rice/tuner culture.

Maybe that wood has been around since way back whenever, that it's perceived to be old and conservative. However, I'm still of the opinion that there are ways to use wood, and to ensure that you're using the right type of wood, that will keep it fresh and contemporary.

And, once again: what place has carbon fibre in a luxury car, and even more so if it doesn't contain any carbon fibre anywhere else in the whole thing?

Is it just because it's a new 'wonder material'? The major engineering properties of CF are that it is light and has high stiffness per weight. They're both completely superfluous when it's used as interior trim. When the car has no carbon fibre used elsewhere, really, it's making a bit of a mockery of the CF and the car.

I suppose if you like its appearance, then that's subjective.. but I for one think it looks a bit tacky. It sure does reek of tuner culture.