At the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a vision of future luxury that captivated the automotive world: the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet. This breathtaking concept car embodies the pinnacle of open-top motoring, blending sensual design with innovative technology to redefine the standards of automotive haute couture. This two-seater marvel pays homage to the era of handcrafted, exclusive cabriolets, while firmly planting its wheels in the future of electric luxury.
The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet reimagines classic design principles with a modern, extravagant twist. It seamlessly fuses intelligent beauty with timeless proportions and a distinctly technoid aesthetic, perfectly encapsulating Mercedes-Benz’s design philosophy of Sensual Purity. This concept is not just a car; it’s a statement of intent, showcasing the direction of luxury and performance in the electric age.
Designed as an all-electric vehicle, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet boasts a formidable 750 horsepower (550 kW) output. Its cleverly integrated, shallow underfloor battery provides a substantial range exceeding 200 miles (500 kilometers based on the NEDC standard), ensuring that luxury and sustainability go hand in hand.
The grand debut of this elegant cabriolet took place during Monterey Car Week, a celebration of automotive excellence held on the Monterey Peninsula, California, from August 15th to 20th, 2017. The highlight of the week, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 20th, served as the perfect stage for this vision of future luxury.
Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer of Daimler AG, eloquently described the vehicle: “The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet takes modern luxury to the absolute peak, perfectly embodying our design strategy. Its breathtaking proportions, combined with a lavish ‘haute couture’ interior, create an unparalleled experience.”
Exterior Design: A Symphony of Lines and Proportions
Stretching nearly 20 feet (6 meters) in length, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet commands attention with its sheer size and elegant presence. It masterfully incorporates the classic proportions of art deco design, featuring an exceptionally long hood and fluid, puristic lines. However, it’s not merely a retro throwback; it’s a reinterpretation of these timeless aesthetic principles for the modern era. The bodywork is sculpted with a sporty, elongated silhouette, defined by powerful structural elements and a sharp, distinctive feature line. This feature line elegantly sweeps along the upper body, starting from the radiator grille and flowing seamlessly across the vehicle’s length to the rear.
The striking contrast between the deep “nautical blue metallic” paint and the gleaming chrome accents enhances the visual drama. Clearly defined body sections with organically shaped fenders are beautifully juxtaposed with chrome trim elements. These elements are strategically placed along the fender edges and centrally on the trunk lid, where they seamlessly integrate the vertical taillights. The iconic Mercedes-Maybach radiator grille, inspired by the elegance of a pinstriped suit, further emphasizes the car’s distinguished front end. The grille is supported by two aerodynamically sculpted elements on the outer edges of the bumper.
The newly designed 24-inch light-alloy wheels feature a center lock, painted in rose gold. This distinctive rose gold hue is a signature element on Mercedes-Benz’s electric vehicle studies, signifying its commitment to electric mobility.
The rear of the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet adopts an extended, rounded “boat tail” design, reminiscent of luxury yachts. Narrow taillights, integrated into the outer edges, visually widen the vehicle’s stance. Additional distinctive rear features include a diffuser with an aluminum frame and air outlets positioned behind the wheel arches, all contributing to both aesthetics and aerodynamic efficiency.
The transition from the vehicle’s rear to the trunk lid and into the interior is fluid and visually cohesive. Crystal white, high-quality nappa leather creates a captivating contrast against the dark exterior paint. The bespoke fabric top, interwoven with rose gold threads, is meticulously color-coordinated with the vehicle’s overall aesthetic, adding another layer of bespoke luxury.
Interior: A 360° Open-Air Luxury Lounge Experience
Stepping inside the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet is akin to entering a new dimension of luxury. Mercedes-Benz has masterfully crafted an interior that represents a novel synthesis of intelligence and emotion. Designers have seamlessly blended the brand’s rich heritage with a cutting-edge, high-tech user experience.
The generous, flowing design language blurs the lines between exterior and interior, creating a holistic and immersive environment. The seamless flow of surfaces from the rear into the cabin evokes the ambiance of a luxurious yacht. A light, wing-like element gracefully curves across the door trim and center tunnel, merging into the seat landscape, creating a 360° open-air luxury lounge.
The innovative “inside out” spatial design is a defining feature. The seating surface forms a horizontal plane that seamlessly transitions into the vertical plane of the doors, ultimately becoming the underside of the dashboard wing.
Beyond the flowing forms, the material selection elevates the luxury experience to the highest echelon. The interplay of contrasts is again a key theme, blending both warm and cool elements. Signature Mercedes-Benz materials and colors are employed, including rose gold accents on trim elements and lavish, quilted crystal white nappa leather on touch surfaces. This exquisite quilting technique, reminiscent of Chesterfield furniture, features diamond patterns with individual buttons. In a futuristic twist, each button on the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet is adorned with a delicate, blue-backlit Mercedes star. The open-pore wood floor, inlaid with aluminum, further enhances the lounge atmosphere and reinforces the yachting connection.
Above the 360° luxury lounge, a display strip unifies the doors, dashboard, and rear area. All display elements are integrated into a continuous glass trim piece. In contrast, classic round dials, such as the instrument cluster, are prominently positioned. This fusion of digital displays with real needles, termed “hyperanalogue” elements, reflects a desire to experience analogue luxury in an increasingly digital world. Borrowing from aviation design, three air vents are positioned beneath the wing, appearing to float like jet engines.
A further highlight is the floating, transparent center tunnel, which visually represents the electric drive system’s energy flow through blue fiber optics, providing a captivating visual connection to the car’s technology.
Key driving functions and location-relevant information, such as restaurant recommendations or points of interest, are projected onto the windscreen via two head-up displays, keeping the driver informed without distraction.
User Experience: Intuitive and Intelligent Communication
The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet is engineered to anticipate passenger needs, providing information and solutions in real-time. The user experience seamlessly blends ultimate luxury with advanced intelligence. Beyond touch controls and intelligent navigation synced with appointment calendars, the car features a sophisticated Concierge function. This system allows natural voice interaction, enabling passengers to communicate as they would with a friend, without the constraints of predefined voice commands, allowing for full driving concentration.
Furthermore, the latest generation of biometric sensors monitors the passengers’ state of mind and health status, subtly integrating wellness into the luxury driving experience.
Emission-Free Driving: Electric Power and Performance
As a dedicated electric vehicle, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet utilizes four compact permanent magnet synchronous electric motors, enabling all-wheel drive. The flat battery pack is strategically located in the underbody, optimizing space and weight distribution. The electric drive system delivers a combined output of 750 horsepower (550 kW), resulting in sports car-like performance. Acceleration from 0 to 60 mph is achieved in under four seconds, and the top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. Crucially, this performance is coupled with a range exceeding 200 miles (500 kilometers according to NEDC), addressing both performance and range anxiety.
The vehicle also incorporates visionary quick-charge functionality. Utilizing DC charging based on the CCS standard, the system can achieve a charging capacity of up to 350 kW. This enables adding over 60 miles (100 kilometers) of range in a mere five minutes of charging, showcasing the future of rapid electric vehicle refueling.
The Visionary Wow Effect: Concept Cars with Enduring Influence
With its generous dimensions (length/width/height: 18.7/6.9/4.4 ft), the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet continues Mercedes-Benz’s lineage of visionary design show cars. This series includes notable concepts like the Vision EnerG-Force (2012), AMG Vision Gran Turismo (2013), Vision Tokyo (2015), and Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Coupé (2016). Mercedes-Benz Design’s global approach ensures these concepts draw inspiration from local design trends, culture, and mobility preferences, making them relevant and forward-thinking. These show cars not only capture the imagination but also provide a glimpse into the long-term future of automotive design and technology.
Mercedes-Maybach: Where Perfection Meets Exclusivity
Mercedes-Maybach represents the zenith of exclusivity and personalization within the automotive world. It caters to discerning customers who demand the utmost in luxury, impeccable craftsmanship, and exceptional appointments. The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class range, including models like the S560 4MATIC and the S650 Cabriolet, embodies this philosophy, blending the perfection of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class with the unparalleled exclusivity of the Maybach marque.
The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Cabriolet, limited to just 300 units worldwide, marked the return of open-top Maybach motoring after decades, serving as a tribute to the art of open-air automotive refinement and foreshadowing the future vision embodied in the Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet.
