The Daimler Group is an industrial giant with an annual turnover of EUR 106 billion. Its activities are concentrated in the private transport sector and financial services. In the automotive sector, the group owns three brands: Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and AMG. The positioning strategy of the three brands became clear in 2016, with the presentation of the futuristic Granturismo bearing the Mercedes Maybach brand name.
It is a two-seater coupé plus two generously sized (5.7 metres by 2.1 metres) that re-proposes the concept of High-end grand tourerwhich disappeared with the oil crisis of the 1970s. Obviously, the new car fits fully into the new automotive paradigm of the 21st century, i.e. electric traction with 4 motors in the wheel hubs, reinforced platform with battery pack and artificial intelligence which handles both autonomous driving and all infotainment. The originality of the Mercedes Maybach 6 essentially lies in three aspects: the car design, which takes up some of the styles of the early 20th century; the truly futuristic interior design; and the performance.
1940s style
Mercedes defines the style of its products in two words: Sensual Purity. The application of this concept on the Mercedes-Maybach produces a striking fusion of the distant past and the near future. The huge 24-inch rims and tail section explicitly recall the 1930s custom-built cars equipped with wire wheels and Boat-tails. But even the gull-wing door opening cannot fail to remind one of the immortal 300 SL of the 1950s.
Futuristic interior design
If outside we are in the vicinity of the great motoring classics, inside we are on the Star Trek spaceship. The dashboard, called 360° loungeis not limited to the front of the cockpit but surrounds passengers. The instrumentation, on the other hand, is called 'hyper-analogue' because it combines retro elements and augmented reality displays in the same gauges. But the special effects don't end there: the Mercedes-Maybach is equipped with biometric sensors that they understand for themselves if the passengers are not perfectly comfortable and adjust the environment to remedy the situation. We then close with the real coup de théâtre, which alone enraptures the eye, the mind and the news reports. Between pilot and passenger there is the Powertraina glass tube in which one can see electrical discharges joining the front and rear, with the intention of representing the flow of electrons pushing the car through what used to be the transmission tunnel.
Engines and performance
The approximately two tonnes of the car body are pushed by four synchronous electric motors with permanent magnets placed inside the wheels that in total deliver as much as 750 HP. The 80 kWh battery pack guarantees aautonomy of 500 kmwhich can be supplemented by another hundred kilometres thanks to a Quick charge which requires a stop of just five minutes. Mercedes claims acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in less than four seconds and a top speed limited to 250 km/h. We are therefore even beyond the promises of Tesla MotorsThis proves two things: that the Germans want to maintain their leadership in automotive technology; that the electric drive still has immense potential for development.
Mercedes Maybach AMG: the strategy of the three brands
Returning to questions of strategic marketing - an activity in which all houses are hard at work these days because of the major changes that will disrupt the entire industry in the coming years - the future of Mercedes is clear. The Mercedes-Benz brand will continue in the production of mid-range cars. Mercedes-AMG will be dedicated to sports models. Mercedes-Maybach will be dedicated to the luxury sector. In addition, the a fourth brand which will sign the most innovative electrically driven cars. It will definitely be a Mercedes something, but for the moment Stuttgart is keeping its mouth shut. One can see that the work of the branding agencies is not yet finished.
Source: Mercedes-benz.com
