Maybach (W240) Produced 2002-2012

New Competition

Old Jan 3, 2003 | 07:23 AM
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New Competition

The new Rolls-Royce is being unveiled today at 4pm and will be exhibited at the Detroit Motor Show from 6 January. It is said to cost £250k, $400k.

Rolls-Royce is now owned by BMW and this car is the one Mercedes developed the Maybach to compete against.

Let battle commence!!
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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 02:44 PM
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This should come out to be very very nice, but looking at BMW won't this one be a tad bit preformance minded? Not that i'm worried for the maybach, Maybach has the same V12 TwinTurbo as the S600 right?
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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 02:50 PM
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I heard the Chief Engineer on the BBC Radio 4's Today Programme and he used the term "Waftability" and explained it to mean effortless performance without drama. It has a 6.75 V12 and will be well up with the Maybach engine, I feel sure.

Most of the car is made in Germany with the internal leather and wood work being done in a new plant built in the south of England, with people being recruited from the luxury yacht builders who are spread along the south coast.

Here's a link to the BBC's news report:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2625469.stm

Can't say I'm impressed by the front, but it's clear it's a real monster.
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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 03:14 PM
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On first viewing tonight on the news it does look big, and IMHO, not overly attractive. I'm not sure which is worse, the Maybach or this. Its just too extravagant, don't you think?

Prime opportunity for Bentley to show the way. Bets on for the biggest seller next year.
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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 03:29 PM
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I agree, the new RR Phantom looks pretty ugly and I'm no fan of the Maybach's styling either. Huge C pillars (to hide to occupants) and I'm not convinced by those rear suicide doors, reminds me too much of a London cab.

The main thing that will be "phantom" about this car is its sales, I suspect. Still, it might grow on me...

If I was in the market for a saloon, the S class is my clear favourite and I think the Bentley is going to give the CL a real run for its money. It's the rear overhang of the CL I cannot handle, much too long. All this stuff about golf-clubs is a bad influence on car design...
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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 06:15 PM
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Originally posted by vraa
Maybach has the same V12 TwinTurbo as the S600 right?
Same engine, but even more powerful, mostly from changes in the exhaust system I think. No more room for the same exhaust in the S600. If you ever get a chance to check out the new 600 engine, it fits pretty tight in the S-class engine bay.

The new Rolls might be a good car, but is it going to have anywhere near the extras that the Maybach will have. Does it have a partition wall or TV screens, or a transparent roof panel, or reclining rear seats with a table, or champagne bottle and glass holders? I'd have to see it first, but I bet it has less to offer than the Maybach for more money.
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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 06:52 PM
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I think the mayback has an advantage because their history isn't very clear so they can choose what direction they want to go, unlike Bentley or Rolls Royce, they can't try anything too liberal from their current designs or so it seems. This car from that link, side view wise, doesn't look like it'll go down with the younger/newer generation of people. To me it looks like that POS car your grandpa always talked about rolling in.
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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 06:53 PM
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Originally posted by Matt230K
Same engine, but even more powerful, mostly from changes in the exhaust system I think. No more room for the same exhaust in the S600. If you ever get a chance to check out the new 600 engine, it fits pretty tight in the S-class engine bay.
wasn't the hood of the S600 longer by like two inches or something or not?
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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 07:00 PM
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I think the Rolls looks terrible.

Not really elegant at all- just big and square!!

Check out this link for lots of photos.


http://www.germancarfans.com/photos....ID=3030103.001
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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 07:24 PM
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Originally posted by vraa
wasn't the hood of the S600 longer by like two inches or something or not?
longer than a V8 S-class? No, it's the same size. There's not a whole lot of room under the hood once you put that V12 in there.

Callaway, thanks for those pics. I can now say that I don't like that Rolls at all. It's pretty ugly and bulky looking. And that interior doesn't look like anything special either.
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Old Jan 4, 2003 | 04:18 AM
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To put the new twin turbo in the S600, they had to raise the hood line by 18mm to fit it in, apparently not so with the SL600 which was presumably designed from the outset with this engine in mind.

Can't imagine RR not catering to every buyer's whims with all the options. A recent article I read highlighted what Bentley could still do, using of course the original RR/Bentley workforce and the quality looked rather better than the Maybach, especially the wood. But, starting from a clean sheet, RR have got a long way to catch up.

A news item here showed the RR in production and the camera lingered longer that was strictly advisable on a pair of workers trying to force a piece of trim in. One was doing the shoving, the other was looking on, brain in neutral, classic British manufacturing.
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Old Jan 4, 2003 | 04:30 AM
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Originally posted by blueSL
A news item here showed the RR in production and the camera lingered longer that was strictly advisable on a pair of workers trying to force a piece of trim in. One was doing the shoving, the other was looking on, brain in neutral, classic British manufacturing.
Both wearing ties and waistcoats ! The supervisor wore a jacket !
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Old Jan 4, 2003 | 09:29 AM
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Nice gimmick on the new RR. When the car stops, the wheel centres keep revolving until the RR logo is properly vertical. The Maybach equivalent would be to have the shield emblem revolve until it's vertical. Adds cost and complexity but will press some buttons for those with a compulsive perfectionist disorder.

Other than that, it can have all the bells and whistles you'd expect but some "experts" think they will have trouble selling the 1000 a year they expect, which is also the sales target Mercedes have set for the Maybach.

Each RR takes 2600 man hours to produce, weighs 2.4 tons and achieves 17.4 mpg, so it's more economical than an SL55!!
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Old Jan 5, 2003 | 02:37 AM
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yah but does it get as many chicks and does the top drop in 16 seconds.. oh wait.. the only chicks u'd get with this are British and over 80 years of age (no offense).. and to top doens't even drop! lol

of course a rocket launcher could solve BOTH those problems.. lol
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Old Jan 5, 2003 | 04:49 AM
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Ummm... I'm guessing someone in a RR will get far more looks then a person in an SL anything. Think about it, which is more likely to have a far richer/powerful person riding in it, a RR or an SL? Obviously the RR...
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Old Jan 5, 2003 | 05:09 AM
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Which car is the British Monarchy most commonly associated with? A top of the line, custom built Rolls Royce or a Mercedes SL?
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Old Jan 6, 2003 | 01:58 AM
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And that, for many of us in the UK, is exactly the reason why the Rolls-Royce brand is in trouble. It's too closely associated with the past abuses of privilege and power.

I'm no raving anti-monarchist but only today, there is a report of Prince Charles being depressed because he was in a poll of people to be chucked out of the country and he's even, OMG, thrown a tantrum at a dinner party and broken a plate. Ahhh, diddums....

Wild horses wouldn't make me have an RR - or a Maybach for that matter. These cars are for people who take themselves too seriously.
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Old Jan 6, 2003 | 11:16 AM
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At the end of the day...

RR will lead...
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Old Jan 6, 2003 | 12:41 PM
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Crashed? OMG, what happened? Hope everyone is OK....
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Old Jan 6, 2003 | 03:44 PM
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Originally posted by blueSL
Crashed? OMG, what happened? Hope everyone is OK....
Hey thanx for the concern,
My parents live @ UK!

Yup everyone's fine she just rubbed the car against a Bus lol,
Lucky i wasnt in the car just kiddin
Women drivers
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Old Jan 8, 2003 | 12:07 AM
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well said

Originally posted by Mustard
On first viewing tonight on the news it does look big, and IMHO, not overly attractive. I'm not sure which is worse, the Maybach or this.
Hear, Hear.

These things are all ugly, and so wasteful of natural resources it's not even funny. Conspicuous consumption has hit a new low with these behemoths. Does no-one value discretion anymore?
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Old Jan 11, 2003 | 09:12 AM
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The car may be over the top, but compared to the hundreds of thousands of gas guzzling SUVs sold in the US market each year, it's a drop in the ocean. Both the Rolls Royce and the Maybach are at least statements of engineering excellence which can hardly be said about a Ford Explorer.
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