What do you folks think of the Maybach concept and execution? So far it seems to be massively underperforming against it's modest sales goals according to press like this:
To me the vehicle seems too complicated for it's own good and too expensive while lacking the style one expects at that level.
John
The dealership I use is also a Maybach studio, and I've seen both models on the street and in the showroom. They're awesome, to say the least. Neither Rolls or Bentley can quite match up at this point. Really, really awesome. I would buy one if I had the cash to throw at it.
As for the sales figures, well thats a different ball game. This is new brand, with virtually no brand equity entering a market that is both exclusive and crowded; one in which the status that brand equity buys you is almost as important as the product you are selling. Of course, the fact that this car is made and sold through Mercedes Benz helps (and is the only reason they have sold any at all), but it will take time to build their market position. Such is the nature of business.
I am confident, however, that these cars will eventually meet their sales goals. The product is indeed superior, and the brand has a good pedigree. If the economy continues to do well, Maybach will be a success.
Thomas J. Paladino New York City
04 S430 04 E320 99 SLK230 95 S320
Its a fast a corvette. Its better than a Rolls and its more capable than any car on the market. It takes time to make things work. 20 years isnt exactly quitting is it. ........ thats the immediate life span.
Hello,
Don't forget that smart and A-Class started very slow. Daimler-Benz (yes, before DaimlerChrysler) didn't write smart off as failure that quick as the Americans do with certain model products.
It takes time to establish the new marque and to build its reputation. DaimlerChrysler oughtn't declare Maybach the failure that fast. Sometimes, the economy and consumer confidence can work for or against the brand names.
In the early 1990s, Mercedes-Benz (as well as German marques) barely survived the American market when the consumer confidence and economy took downturn and when the luxury Japanese vehicles arrived (Infiniti and Lexus).
Nothing wrong with launching Maybach. However, one can see lot of similarity between the W220 S-Class and Maybach, especially the interior components. I'd rather see the unique interior that differiates itself from the corporate design. Rolls-Royce accomplished that in its new Phantom with fewer BMW components that are visible to the motorist or passengers. Bentley Continental GT has same interior as VW Phaeton and same key fob as Skoda Felica. Without pressing the throttle pedal or seeing the Bentley decal, I'd be hard pressed to tell them apart.
Oliver
John Horner wrote:
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the Lexus design team all drive Mercs? Maybe it is because the cars they build look like the bastard offspring of a Mercedes Toyota parts bin orgy. Sort of an
*All day I design Toyotas, but all night I dream of Mercedes'* situation. 300 EssieLexus undercut the Mercedes price and had reputation of best customer service. Lexus had to do that in order to attract the customers. Mercedes-Benz was slow in changing to the market. To-day, you can get pretty much wide variety of Mercedes from smart to Maybach...
300 Essie wrote:Mercs sales projections were optimistic in a very small market. Selling 600 since launch doesn't sound bad to me.
DAS
Even assuming they're only selling for $350,000 apiece, that's over $200 million in sales. Presumably, the margin is relatively high on these cars, too.
--Paul
** Note "removemunged" in email address and remove to reply. **
Let's face it, if you are trying to convince the board to go with a project like Maybach, you may need to gilt the projections a bit to get enough support when it comes to the 'show of hands'; don't you think?
300 Essie
Yeah, the US car mags have also noted its significant underperformance. Actually, apparently Rolls is underperforming as well, seems Bentley is the star of that market.
Just saw my first Maybach today, a 57 in the local dealership. They are expanding across the street for an even more upscale audience.
well, the Maybach was parked between an SLK and a C-class estate, but that was an S500 also in the showroom. It was a single color, like a
*very* dark metallic purple or something. It was certainly massive. The styling was not subtle still can't decide if I like the hood treatment or not. It stickered at about $325,000 and had a big "NOT FOR SALE" sign on it. Ha ha ha. Yeah right.Then again, I guess Mercedes can afford to build a bunch of demos the way sales have been....
Yep!
But, the Lexus still looks like a Mercedes copy; in a Mazda MX-5 Lotus Elan sort of way. Personally I feel that they look just a little too close to be flattery.
300 Essie
When the original models from Lexus and Infiniti came out, it was strikingly apparent from the styling of the cars that the LS400 was intended to appeal to people who aspired to owning a Mercedes and the the Q45, to would-be Jaguar buyers.
The LS400, particularly, was so Mercedes-like that its styl- ing verged on plagiarism. The intent to emulate the image of Mercedes may have been diluted a bit since then as the model range broadened, but it's never completely gone away -- espec- ially in the case of the LS400/430. Even after two or three minor styling updates, that car still looks pretty much the same as it always did. And the SC430 may not look terribly Mercedes-like, but it's clearly an analog of the SL500.
Geoff
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