I was invited to the LA Auto Show Preview Night on Thursday. It was INCREDIBLE to say the least. Some highlights were the World Wide debut of the Lambo Murci LP640 Roadster (convertible), the North American debut of the Ferrari 599 GTB, a Bugatti Veyron (in all of its glory), the only Maybach Exelero ever made, Michael Schumaker's 2006 F1 Racer - fresh from the Grand Prix and a rare Koenigsegg - purportedly the fastest street legal car in the world. Pics are below. I did the best I could. It is actually really hard to take nice pics of cars at big car shows - the lighting is terrible.

If you are in LA, you must attend this show. It runs through Dec. 10th.

 

More Pics.

 

Yet More Goodness

 

Last But Not Least

 

I was ganna go also, but my friend couldn't make it. So Now I got to find time within the next ten days to go see the show. And I got finals coming up in two weeks...so this is rough on me...I wish they kept it in January.

Anyway, that Maybach looks sick...I want one.

 

Thanks for the pics B55, those are awesome looking cars. Wish I was there.

 

I do like the 599 in that color - although getting the color in autoshow lighting can be quite tough, I know.

This was the car that they traipsed-around last summer in the US; pics of it are in various carmags, I would assume.

Thanks for posting the pics.

 

Aren't there three of those Maybachs?

They better bring all these to Chicago/Detroit...or I'll kill someone!

 

Yes, there are.

That is the car being kept in Southern California, and making all of the USA rounds.

I didn't bother to correct the original poster's incorrect information....

 

You would have been dead wrong. There is only one Exelero. I heard it from one of the Engineers - who was standing there at the show answering questions about the car. There are no plans to make any more. It was created to test tire compounds. So, either your are right - or the guy who helped build it and one of a handful who have actually driven it is lying to me. You make the call.

 

I was there on press day Wednesday and spoke with Bill Thormas at the stand. I can confirm that he said there was only one in existence.

 

I've already made the call - been making it for over a year here on these forums....

Three cars were made - all a matter of published, public information. The history of these cars - and the fact that three were made - is no mystery.

So the guy at the show was wrong - simple. I wouldn't say that he was lying....

One car is currently in Europe, one is currently in Canada, and this one is in the USA. The one in Europe is for sale - they are taking bids right now. The other two were supposed to be for sale, but the decision has been made that they will continue to be used as showcars to promote the Exelero...at least for now.

They are currently working on a production version of the Exelero. Didn't 'know' that either, did you?

And the Koenigsegg is the one CCX in the USA, BTW.

Currently competing for the fastest road-legal production car are the Bugatti Veyron, Koenigsegg CCX, Saleen S7TT, and the SSC SC8 Aero TT. All three of these current non-record-holders have plans to shoot for taking the record from the Veyron this Spring and Summer. Just a couple more of the many things which I know -- and of which you are apparently just beginning to learn....

You might start here on these forums by reading through the two or three threads already existing on the Exelero - at least then you wouldn't be completely ignorant.

 

No reason to be a dick about it Clay.

 

Yeah this response to "Belerirand" is way over the top. Maybe people have been getting to you lately but there is no need to take such a superior tone. We've been to the show and spoken to the guy. If you check my post, I stated that "he (guy at the stand) said" there was only one and not three. I had read the previous posts so asked the guy if there were three and he said no. I'm not saying he is necessarily right but this forum is meant to be for the exchange of information, a state of afffairs you are usually an informative contributor to. Whether he was right or wrong, the Maybach guy said there was one so
You never normally react like that so i'm a bit

 

He is reacting like this because he is wrong and we proved him wrong.

I think I am inclined to trust the man hired by Mercedes Benz to give information about the car. In fact, he was there to provide information ONLY ABOUT THE EXELERO which was in a special area with only one other Maybach car. There was also a sign that gave the history of the project and said that there is only ONE IN THE WORLD. I don't think that MB would promote misinformation at one of the largest auto shows in the world. Are you saying that MB itself doesn't even know that this SECRET project is going on? Is it all a secret plot to keep us from really knowing that there are three Exeleros?

But you read it on the web, a newspaper or in a magazine so it must be true right? Give me a break.

No offense, but between some guy spouting off on a forum and the actual representative and literature from MB, I am inclined to trust the MB rep.

Unless you have a picture of all three cars together, our evidence is better than yours. Anyone can "SAY" anything. We have actually SEEN the Exelero at the show and spoken with a man who was hired and is being paid by MB to give out the proper information. You can't possibly be saying that you know more than him because you READ it somewhere.

That just doesn't pass the laugh test. Plain and simple.

ps. he also said that they have never, and will never plan to produce the Exelero. it was created to test tires - nothing more.

 

My apologies, gentlemen.

You are absolutely right - no reason for me to be a male appendage about it.

My tone was over-the-top, and probably uncalled for. I thought at the time that the surety in Mr. Wrong's post warranted some surety in my setting him straight....

Thanks for keeping me honest; and for doing so nicely.

If you do read the bunch of stuff that I posted early-on concerning the Exelero you will be able to gain a very complete understanding about its inception -- and also why they built three of them originally.

If you notice the original in-error-poster's latest post, however, you will see that he definately DOES need correction. I've done my part in correcting the erroneous information - would you guys like to tackle it again?

 

This post was over-the-top was well. No need to call the man "Mr. Wrong."

 

This isn't really a matter of who is right or wrong any more. We have our answer. We got the information straight from the horse's mouth at the show. And not anyone on a web forum with nothing more than his word and Scout's honor is going to change that. But just for fun, let's look at the facts:

Our Facts:

1. We attended one of the largest auto shows in the world in which nearly one million people will attend.

2. As in years past, Mercedes Benz had one of the largest, most elaborate and professional exhibits at the show.

3. We actually SAW an Excelero and took pictures of it. The Exelero we saw and pictured was obviously pretty heavily used and had some scars and scratches to prove it.

4. A man hired and educated by Mercedes Benz told us - without any doubt - that there was only one Excelero made and that the one we were seeing was the one that did the famous and well publicizied testing and went 217 miles an hour on the track. He also said that there were never any plans to put the car into production and that it was made to "test tires."

5. There was a nice written presentation on the Excelero as well, retelling the entire story just as the MB rep had communicated it to us.

ClayJ's Facts:

1. Talking out of his ***.

You make the call.

In the end, he says that it is "no mystery" that MB made three and that they are going into general production. But it seems to be a mystery to Mercedes Benz who decided to deceive everyone at the autoshow - both verbally and in writing.

Maybe ClayJ is going to produce them himself in his secret laboratory? Or maybe the project is so clandestine that Mercedes Benz itself doesn't even know about it. I think Osama Bin Laden has a fourth one. It's George Bush's fault for not finding it. Yeah, that's it.

Hey I said it. Now it is "published" and "public information."

Isn't that a little .

I got my answer at the autoshow. We did have a good laugh over this at Brabus NA in Newport this afternoon. So, at least it was worth something.

Ps. I come in here, spend my time and post some pics of the show and this bozo calls me ignorant. Be sure to see my final post on this below for the coup de gras on this whole issue - it is pretty funny.

 

My condolences.

 

Here is a picture of the presentation of the Excelero at the autoshow. See the little sign next to the car. Read the third paragraph blown up below. It states:

"The Excelero is a 700 hp two seater with a V12 biturbo engine. The unique streamlined design gives this vehicle a space-age look. Maybach has no plans to produce the Exelero in a series. It took 20 months of development and cooperation between students at Murzheim College and Maybach engineers to create this unique piece of performance art. The design was turned over to the prototype specialists at Stole in Turin, Italy for assembly." (emphasis added)

I may be ignornat ClayJ, but I can read.

Case closed.

 

No use arguing with him. Theres a reason why he's ON PROBATION

 

Good point.

I try not to let people like that bother me. I see you are from Beverly Hills. Did you attend the show?

 

nice, im planning to go , i hope they have all the cars for the whole show. i look most forward to see - enzo, koenissegg and bugatti of course. havent seen any of these in real life yet. on a side note- the 599 kind of came and went, not too much fuss abt it in the news at all. i think its a perfect car - insane performance and good ride. this over the SLR any time. oh- did they have the SLR there?

 

You will love the show. If you are in the LA area - or even if you are not - I suggest attending the preview event next year. It happens the day before the show opens to the general public. You can peruse the show for hours with nearly nobody there and there is good food and music. It costs $125 to attend, but it is worth every penny - and all proceeds go to charity.

I think the best day to attend this year will be Tues or Wed. Get there when the doors open and you will have a couple of hours to yourself to take pics.

The 599 looks a bit too much like the 612. They were pushing both at the show. I like the 599 - but do we really need 2 front engine Ferraris? But I will tell you this, guys were cutting checks right and left for deposits on the car - on the spot.

I hope you enjoy the show brother. Let us know what you think and post any interesting pics.

Takee care.

 

Here is a nice shot of a MC-12. Very rare indeed. I will keep adding shots here and there as I find my favorites from the nearly 1000 that I took. Enjoy.