The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class rests at the very top of the brand’s lineup with plenty of personalization options. However, buyers of ultra-luxury vehicles can never have enough bespoke features, like the ones exhibited on the highly customized Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture Concept that will evolve into a limited production model in 2023.
For those not familiar with the fashion
industry, haute couture is a French term used to describe high-end fashion
design where everything is handmade from fine materials. As such, the Maybach
S-Class received an overhaul in terms of colors and trimmings, with what
Mercedes describes as an “unusual, fashion-inspired” combination. The exterior
sports a two-tone paint with dark nautical blue for the upper part of the body
and the Maybach alloy wheels, and shimmering rose for the rest of the vehicle
highlighted by chrome accents.
Inside is where all of the fashion-related
fun begins. The upholstery combines Nappa leather in crystal white and dark
nautical blue with a pretty wild-looking bouclé fabric in blue, beige, rose
gold and gold hues that covers large portions of the cabin. The dashboard has a
lacquered finish with rose gold lines, matching the accents on the center
console. There is a star pattern printed on the leather-upholstered instrument
panel, doors, headrests and headliner. Finally, animal-free white faux fur
covers the door pockets, inlay mats and scatter cushions, meaning passengers
better make sure their shoes are clean before entering the car.
The bespoke nature of the special edition
is also present in the digital interface of the MBUX infotainment. The graphics
are updated in order to “visualize the catwalk atmosphere” with rose gold
accents all over the menus and around the always-visible home button on the
central touchscreen. The profile selection menu has a fresh magnolia blossom
and sparkling particles, and the home screen features sparkling glitter clouds
which are not present in the regular Maybach models, while each user can create
their own Haute Voiture profile picture by selecting between twelve nicely
dressed avatars.
Last but not least, a luxurious model like
this couldn’t be missing some bespoke fashion items. A barrel bag coming in
different sizes and two complete handmade outfits were created from the same
materials used in the interior of the S-Class. Besides minimizing leftover
pieces, this means that the passengers of the Haute Voiture can be dressed
accordingly to their fancy vehicle, as long as they fit inside the following
pieces – a delicate lace dress, a tailored jacket, and a short A-line skirt, or
a modern mock neck top with a long skirt.
The model might be presented in concept
form here but it is close to production-ready status. Mercedes says it will
launch the car into the market in early 2023 as a strictly limited edition,
without specifying pricing, production numbers or availability. They also
didn’t talk about the powertrain type but we guess that the S680’s V12 is a
necessity given that this model competes with nothing short of the bespoke
variants of the recently facelifted Rolls-Royce Phantom.
The Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture Concept
was presented during The Art Of Creating Desire exhibition in Cote d’Azur
alongside the Project Maybach x Virgil Abloh Concept and the similarly-specced
Mercedes-Maybach S680 By Virgil Abloh which is limited to 150 examples.