Maybach 62S Landaulet
The future of the struggling Maybach brand is expected to be determined by as early as next month, with two major possibilities reportedly on the cards–either drop the brand altogether or tie-up with another automaker, most likely Aston Martin, and jointly develop a successor to the lackluster 57 and 62 sedans.
However, a third scenario has recently come to light and is starting to look more and more likely. Insider sources have revealed to Automotive News that Maybach’s parent company Daimler is also considering spinning off its hyper-luxury brand into a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz.
Similar to its AMG performance branding, Mercedes could eventually use the Maybach name as a more premium trim level on high-end models like the S-Class, CL and GL SUV, with unique features and styling used to differentiate the ‘special’ cars from the regular lineup.
The sources also revealed that the decision deadline on Maybach’s fate has been pushed back until late July from its original date of July 1. This is so the decision making can coincide with the next meeting of the Daimler supervisory board.
Additionally, it’s thought that Aston Martin is working on a handful of concept cars previewing a possible jointly developed Maybach and new flagship sedan for the Lagonda brand. If Maybach does live on, we could see the unveiling of said concepts as early as September’s 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show.
[Automotive News, sub req’d]