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Maybach Exelero
The Maybach Exelero, looking like a streamlined version
of a car straight out of a 1940's gangster film, packs a wallop
as powerful as it is gorgeous. The Maybach Exelero is a beautiful
show car that is a one-off creation from Maybach, Mercedes' ultra-luxury
line, unveiled at the Tempodrome in Berlin in 2005.
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The Exelero was to be used by Fulda as a
reference for road-testing a new set of wide tires under
development at the time, the Fulda Carat Exelero.
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Maybach
Exelero |
Fulda Tyres has a history of using custom concept cars as a publicity
aid for both testing and showcasing their new tires. They have previously
done it with the Fulda Carat Extremo from Porsche back in 1997 and
the High-Tech-Emotions show truck from 2000.
In one of their newer campaigns, they commissioned the Exelero.
Unusually long for a two-seater at over 19 feet, this half-coupe,
half-beast is not just a large and looming monster but a speed demon
out the smoke the road. Developed as a custom car by German luxury
car manufacturer Maybach, the Exelero costs a whopping $8 million
dollars.
History
Back in the 1930's, both Maybach and Fulda collaborated on a vehicle
based on the Maybach SW 38. The vehicle originally had an engine
with 6 cylinders, 3.6 liter capacity and capable of 140 bhp. The
Fulda Maybach collaboration gave birth to an aerodynamic masterpiece
that can theoretically run at top speeds of 200 kph.
The vehicle was completed in 1939 but production did not ensue
because of World War II.
Features
Building upon the original design of that collaboration, the two
companies came together once more to build the Maybach Exelero.
Weighing on the 2-ton level at 5864 lbs, this car is huge and has
been referred as a land yacht with its imposing presence and size.
It is powered by a 5.9 liter V12 engine with twin turbochargers
and a usable power output of 700 bhp at 5000 rpm and a maximum torque
of 1200 Nm at 2500 rpm. The vehicle accelerates from 0 to 60 mph
in 4.4 seconds and reaches top speed at 218 mph, making the Exelero
the fastest car Maybach has ever made at the time.
The Maybach Exelero has three manually-activated spoilers at the
rear to keep it planted and a front-end lift unusual for its beastly
appearance. Selective blocking of the air intakes, lowering the
height and fitting the rims creatively among other design initiatives
have helped streamline the aerodynamics of the vehicle into a top-notch
drag coefficient of 0.28.
The cozy interior of the Maybach Exelero is clad in black and red
accents. Tires are an imposing 23-inches and are adorned with stylish,
aerodynamically sound rims.
One-Of-A-Kind
While the Maybach Exelero is supposed to be a one-off, the response
to the vehicle has been tremendous with the occasional funny references
to the Batmobile, of course. A recent interview with Mercedes seems
to indicate they are considering doing a similar two-seater for
Maybach in the near future.
The Maybach Exelero has been a popular hit in shows and has been
featured in numerous magazines, test driven by many car enthusiasts,
and covered by many media outlets. As predicted when the Maybach
Exelero first came out, the vehicle has also been used in a rap
video. It can be seen being driven by Jay-Z in his video for "Lost
One."
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