It’s no secret that Mercedes-Maybach wants to dethrone Rolls-Royce. Part of its model offensive will include a majestic convertible that blends luxury, finesse, and performance into a package tailored specifically for the world’s most discerning buyers. The Vision 6 Cabriolet concept sheds insight into what it could look like.
The name and the massive chromed grille might ring a bell, because the 20-foot-long Vision 6 is a topless version of the eponymous concept shown at last year’s edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The dark blue paint brings out the gorgeous proportions and the art deco-inspired lines. This is the car Jay Gatsby would drive if he made his money in Silicon Valley during the dot-com boom.
Cascading lines make the exterior look like it flows into the interior, a styling cue reminiscent of the high-end yachts typically anchored in the Monaco harbor. The two passengers are treated to white nappa leather attached to a frame via back-lit buttons. Rubber mats are far too banal, so Maybach lined the floors with open-pore wood and aluminum inlays.
Key information about the car and its surrounding is projected on a pair of head-up displays located right in front of the driver, and a built-in concierge function promises to take voice-recognition software to the next level by eliminating built-in commands. The passengers can talk to the car like they would talk to a friend, according to Maybach, and it will understand each and every request.
The extra-long hood implies the Vision 6 Cabriolet is equipped with a mighty V12 engine like the G650 Laundaulet, but Maybach explains the convertible was developed as an electric car from the get-go. It relies on an electric powertrain that provides 750 horsepower, and it boasts up to 200 miles of driving range. The battery pack is stuffed under the passenger compartment, a packaging solution that leaves enough room for a spacious cabin while lowering the center of gravity.
The Vision 6 takes less than four seconds to silently whisk its occupants from 0 to 60 mph. An electric motor is more compact than a big 12-cylinder, so designers transformed the space under the hood into storage space with individual compartments for plates, coffee mugs, and cutlery. Rolls-Royce’s picnic basket is a lot less impressive now, isn’t it?
You have a few years to play your cards right on Wall Street, make it to the NBA, or win the Powerball if you want to put the Vision 6 Cabriolet in your garage. While it’s billed as merely a concept that looks “far into the future” of the brand, sources close to Maybach suggest it’s a thinly veiled preview of a model that will debut in production guise before the end of the decade. Whether it will retain the concept’s electric drivetrain is anyone’s guess at this point.
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