Maybach Center of Excellence

Maybach Center of Excellence

Maybach redefining Customer Service

Ideal conditions for comprehensive and individualized customer consulting

By Text and photos courtesy of DaimlerChrysler AG
August 2, 2002 9:24 PM
Filed Under: Maybach

Press Release

The Maybach customer consulting center in Sindelfingen
DaimlerChrysler Opens Center of Excellence Sindelfingen � Less than ten months after the foundation stone was laid, DaimlerChrysler officially opened its new Center of Excellence at the Sindelfingen plant today. The building, which required an investment of approximately €10 million, expands the existing Mercedes-Benz customer center and contains the Maybach Studio, which offers ideal conditions for providing expert and individual customer consulting. The competence center for the luxury brand has a total area of 2,200 square meters and also serves as the international headquarters for the Maybach sales organization, which initially consists of a network of 25 sales centers in Europe, Asia and North America. With its stylish architecture and exclusive furnishings, featuring cutting-edge communications technology, the Maybach Studio reflects the fascinating world of the luxury brand � a world that can also be experienced by customers unable to visit the studio in person: Thanks to video conferencing technology, they can directly address staff in Sindelfingen from any Maybach Sales Center in the world should they have questions regarding the purchase and equipping of their high-end luxury sedan. This is proof enough of how consistently the luxury-car manufacturer implements its unique service philosophy. Sindelfingen offers decisive advantages Because intensive customer care is given top priority at Maybach, the Sindelfingen plant located about 20 kilometers south of Stuttgart is an ideal site for the Center of Excellence and the Maybach Studio. The site offers distinct advantages due to close links with the customer consulting organization and the development and production expertise accumulated there over the past few decades, which strong advantages for the integrated Maybach manufacturing facility. Comprehensive and individualized customer consulting Customers who wish to find out more about the Maybach brand at the Center of Excellence, or configure a luxury sedan of their own at the Maybach Studio, are welcomed and attended to by a specially trained personal consultant � their Personal Liaison Manager (PLM). A pleasant atmosphere for discussions is ensured by the carefully designed ambience of the new Maybach Center of Excellence: The facility is divided into three main areas (for presentation and consulting; communication and catering; and vehicle delivery) that authentically express brand-typical features such as exclusivity, luxury and cutting-edge technology. Vehicles for presentation purposes and test drives Initially, the customer can form specific impressions by viewing Maybach showroom models, different versions of which are on display at the Maybach Sales Centers. Four Maybach models are always on display at the Maybach Studio in Sindelfingen: A Maybach 62 and a Maybach 57 are presented on rotating platforms and another pair of these same models is available for test drives. In addition, original exhibits that range from paint and material samples to optional equipment and engineering features provide authentic and detailed impressions of just what makes each Maybach a high-end luxury sedan. The variety of ornamental woods, fine leather and other select features presented here provide the basis for making every Maybach an exquisite customized design. Center of Excellence with an extraordinary atmosphere
The Architectural Expression of the Maybach Brand Closely linked to the Mercedes-Benz customer center, the new Center of Excellence is an integral part of the spacious and inviting building complex located in front of the Sindelfingen plant. Like the Maybach sedan, the center’s architecture and the interior and furnishings of the integrated Maybach Studio create an atmosphere that authentically expresses brand-typical features such as exclusivity, luxury and cutting-edge technology. The cornerstone for the new Center of Excellence was laid in October 2001. Completed in only ten months, the new building complex covers more than 2,200 square meters and offers ideal conditions for providing individual consulting to the most discriminating customers. At the heart of the Maybach brand The 850-square-meter Maybach Studio has its own driveway � the gateway to the Maybach world. After arriving in their own cars or in a shuttle bus, customers step onto a lighted patio that is surrounded on two sides by facades made of natural stone. A relief by the young Berlin artist Gerold Miller then catches the visitor’s eye. The object is composed of differently colored sheets of aluminum that correspond with the various shades of paint used for the Maybach. The water basin in front of the building accentuates the Maybach Studio’s private atmosphere, while light reflections intensify the facility’s bright and cheerful mood. A private atmosphere immersed in discreet elegance Double doors provide access to the Maybach Studio, whose three main areas (devoted to presentation and consulting, communication and catering; and vehicle delivery) are located on two levels. The intended �three-rooms-in-one� effect was created with the help of dividing walls placed in just the right manner. These wall elements ensure that the individual areas are clearly delineated. The intentionally created link between the various areas is accentuated by a surrounding lattice girder that carries the lights. As the latter can be individually controlled, various lighting effects are possible. The exterior walls with their alternating facades of bright surfaces and large windows create an impression of openness combined with discreet elegance. The unobtrusive design of the rooms ensures that visitors will direct their full attention toward the objects for which these surroundings were created: the Maybach luxury sedans and the exhibits that were especially developed for customer consulting purposes. Occupying an area of about 100 square meters near the entrance is the �Magic Point,� the place where vehicles are handed over to their new owners. Customers who take delivery of their new Maybach at the Center of Excellence can then take their first drive after passing through a separate gate by the patio. The perfect forum for individual customer consulting All furnishings in the Maybach Studio were designed and installed with the view of providing the best in individualized customer consulting. Of special note is the Maybach Commissioning Wall, which is used to present various color and material samples. It allows customers to experience the Maybach’s standard and optional equipment and the ways in which the vehicle can be customized in individual steps to meet their specific needs. This service is supplemented by a visual vehicle presentation using a virtual car demonstrator. Last but not least, the Maybach Studio’s extensive range of technical equipment also includes a high-performance video-conferencing system. The Maybach sales concept
Taking Perfect Care of the Most Discriminating Customers In keeping with its international focus, the Maybach brand has had a global presence from the time of its market launch. Developed exclusively for the super-premium brand, the Maybach sales concept is, as one would expect, focused entirely on individualized customer care and service that is optimized in every respect. The concept is based on a network of approximately 25 Maybach Centers, with the newly opened Center of Excellence in Sindelfingen as the hub. The responsibility for this unique customer care is entrusted to specially trained Personal Liaison Managers (PLMs), who are not only qualified in technical issues but also very familiar with their customers’ lifestyles, thereby ensuring an optimum level of support. Totally focused on individual customer service, the Maybach sales organization reflects the exceptional position of this luxury automotive brand in the way that it fully meets the requirements of its extremely demanding customers. In keeping with this approach, Maybach sales are handled exclusively by specialized partners within the high-performance network of Maybach Centers. In addition to these centers, customers can rely on specialized Service Centers, where highly qualified staff address all kinds of technical issues. Exclusive Maybach Centers are located in major cities in Europe, the United States, Asia and the Middle East � for example, in Paris, London, Rome, New York, Hong Kong and Dubai. In the German capital of Berlin, Daimler-Chrysler has built a new modern Maybach Center on the roof of the Mercedes-Benz �Am Salzufer� showroom. In Munich, too, the automaker is building an exclusive consulting and sales center for customers of this high-end luxury brand. Support from the Mercedes-Benz network As was the case during the product development phase, Maybach is also benefiting from the power of the Mercedes-Benz brand when it comes to sales. The global Mercedes-Benz network with its roughly 6,000 partners is, for example, available to any prospective Maybach customer as a contact point. During the sales process, potential customers can rely on the Mercedes-Benz partners to establish contact with the Center of Excellence or a Maybach Center in their region. In this way, customer inquiries are routed directly to one of the 40 or so Maybach Personal Liaison Managers, who from that point on look after each customer personally. Carefully selected and intensively trained, these consultants support only a limited number of Maybach customers at one time and serve as their personal contact both in matters of sales and service. The PLM can always be contacted by the customer, and his or her telephone number is stored in the phone of Maybach cars. Center of Excellence: A testimony to the competence of the Maybach brand Built by DaimlerChrysler at a cost of some €10 million, the new Center of Excellence in Sindelfingen provides optimum conditions for customer consulting as individualized as it is comprehensive. The Center attests to the competence of the high-end luxury brand. As the premier customer and competence center, this 2,200 square-meter facility not only includes the Maybach Studio, where customers can also take possession of their vehicle; it also functions as a control center for all worldwide sales and service activities of the Maybach brand. Customers who come to the Center of Excellence for consulting services and to select the features of their luxury sedan are received in Sindelfingen or accompanied there by their Personal Liaison Manager. When making their selections concerning the design and equipment of their cars, Maybach customers never need to resort to catalogs or equipment lists. Instead, the desired configuration of their Maybach is developed during an exchange of ideas between the customer and the consultant. Needless to say, other professionals in the Center of Excellence are also available for these discussions, including design specialists and technical experts from the development and production departments. Initially, the customer can form specific impressions by viewing Maybach showroom models, different versions of which are also on display in the Maybach Centers. Four sedans are on hand for customers to view in the Maybach Studio in Sindelfingen: A Maybach 62 and a Maybach 57 are presented on rotating platforms and another pair of these same models is available for test drives. In addition, original exhibits that range from paint and materials samples to optional equipment and engineering features provide authentic and detailed impressions of just what makes each Maybach a true masterpiece on wheels. The customer can choose from a variety of ornamental woods, different grains of fine leather and other select features that make every Maybach sedan an exquisite customized design. With its comprehensive choice of the finest materials, exclusive colors and innovative technical details, the Maybach Studio is the visitor’s gateway to the world of this unique brand of ultra-luxury sedans. A new standard of excellence in consulting, using the latest communications technology The Center of Excellence and the Maybach Centers fully exploit the opportunities offered by the latest computer and presentation technology. The Maybach Commissioning Wall is an innovative sales aid developed to guide customers in their choices through a presentation of paint and material samples. It enables customers to experience the standard and optional styling and individual equipment choices in a step-by-step, hands-on process: The customer can not only see but also touch and feel the exhibits and samples. The consultant supplements this look-feel demo with a virtual vehicle presentation. The Maybach Commissioning Wall, with its capability of presenting the full range of standard and optional features, is a unique sales tool that underscores the distinctive nature of the manufacturing approach at the Sindelfingen location, as well as its uncompromising implementation. DaimlerChrysler is also the first automaker in the world to offer a special service, which is provided to customers who are unable to visit the Center of Excellence in person. The new service allows for direct consultation with experts at the Center of Excellence via videoconference from any Maybach Center. In this method, too, the proximity of the central customer center to the Maybach development department and the adjacent Maybach manufacturing plant is a distinct advantage. The PLM can involve experts from the design and production departments directly in the videoconference to ensure that the customer’s personal wishes and ideas with respect to design and equipment are fully considered and met. Video conferencing also provides the opportunity of including shots of Maybach show vehicles from Sindelfingen or the various Maybach Centers. This allows the customer to compare different exterior color combinations or interior designs, for example. Worldwide first in customer consulting: The mobile car demonstrator Another unique feature of the Maybach sales concept is the possibility to conduct in-depth sales consulting even outside the Maybach Centers � wherever the customer wishes, in fact. This �unlimited consulting� is made possible by the car demonstrator, the mobile consulting support system for the Personal Liaison Managers. The car demonstrator is an entirely unique visualization tool with a comprehensive digital image and data archive, including the technical and equipment details available in the luxury sedan. The system can present any conceivable color and equipment combination and is equipped with a projector to display the resulting images in magnified form and at ultra-high resolution. Comprehensive quality assurance and exclusive delivery Maybach customers can rely on superlative performance in all aspects of service and support. The production phase lasts about four weeks and is concluded with painstaking quality and functional tests in roughly half a day of driving operations to ensure that each of these unique vehicles is in perfect condition. The car is then turned over to the customer at a special location in the Maybach Studio known as the �Magic Point.� If the customer cannot personally take possession of the luxury sedan, the event can be transmitted via videoconference, enabling the customer to experience this special moment live. The Magic Point can also be directly viewed from the Maybach Studio. Should the customer decide to have his or her new Maybach sedan delivered, a DaimlerChrysler logistics partner will transport it to the desired location. Whenever possible, the vehicle will be transported by a special truck, otherwise by air-freight or ocean-shipping container. Maybach owners can also use the logistics service to have their vehicle sent to one of the 50 or so Service Centers around the world that perform routine maintenance as well as repairs. The owner and the Personal Liaison Manager jointly decide where the vehicle is to be serviced, and in which manner it is to be transported to the Service Center. Top of the line service The specialists at the Service Centers maintain close contact with their colleagues at the Maybach manufacturing plant and at the Center of Excellence, who are available to provide technical support via telephone or videoconference. In addition, a team of highly qualified professionals is available every day to address the needs of customers, which is why they have been given the nickname of �The Flying Doctors.� In the unlikely event of a technical problem that cannot be resolved locally, these experts will be on hand within a few hours to assure highly professional repairs. Personal Liaison Manager
New Standards in Customer Care DaimlerChrysler is setting new standards in customer care through the use of its Maybach Personal Liaison Managers (PLMs). In line with the company’s one-face-to-the-customer strategy, a group of initially 40 PLMs will be on call 24 hours a day to provide customers with individualized service. The respective PLM’s telephone number will also be stored in the customer’s car phone so that he or she can be contacted at any time. The PLMs’ main task is to advise and assist their customers in all matters relating to the purchase of the vehicle and the provision of associated services. However, the PLMs not only take care of matters directly connected to the product; they also address other customer concerns as well. A PLM can, for example, organize his or her customer’s visit to a cultural event, Formula One race or other exclusive occasion. Most PLMs were recruited in countries in which DaimlerChrysler maintains Maybach Centers. They primarily gained their professional expertise and personal skills in various luxury sectors and generally speak two or three languages. To supplement their existing expertise, the PLMs also receive extensive training: Centrally organized introductory seminars lasting four weeks are held in Sindelfingen. In this way, DaimlerChrysler achieves a globally uniform skill level, which is regularly kept up-to-date with the help of follow-up seminars. New registration and support system A new registration and support system has been developed especially to enable the PLMs to precisely plan and schedule discussions with customers. The system can also help in the fulfillment of specific customer requests, such as booking hotel rooms or organizing shuttle services. The PLMs cooperate closely with customers to draw up agendas of the individual consulting services to be discussed at the meeting. This gives the PLMs ample time to prepare themselves for the discussion, and allows them to obtain the assistance of any additional specialists who may be needed to answer inquiries related to the product or its equipment. The customer can thus directly profit from the combined expertise of the DaimlerChrysler Group and the Mercedes-Benz brand. The results of the discussion between the PLM and the customer are documented in detail, and upon leaving the Center of Excellence, the customer also receives a so-called Maybach Incentive Box containing materials samples. If so desired, customers can also obtain a CD-ROM from their PLM, which contains information on their individual car configuration. In addition to gaining impressions of the car from the showroom models and in-depth presentations, Maybach customers can, of course, also test-drive the vehicle to get a better feel of its capabilities. Innovative car demonstrator for mobile consulting To help the PLMs in their consulting work, DaimlerChrysler provides them with a special tool that is unique in this form and with these capabilities. The special tool is a so-called car demonstrator that allows the PLMs to offer expert consulting service outside of the Center of Excellence or the Maybach Centers � at any location in the world that the customer desires, in fact. At the heart of the virtual consulting system is a mobile workstation, in which an extensive image and data archive is stored containing information on the luxury sedan’s technology and equipment features. The mobile presentation tool is also equipped with a Pen Tablet, which, like an organizer display, can be used to enter data or navigate through the archive with the help of a stylus. Thanks to this system, PLMs can easily put together any type of color or equipment combination. Cinematic presentation While the PLM is operating the entry display, the car demonstrator’s mobile projector presents the customer’s selection process like a movie by displaying the magnified images and all the data in high resolution. Because it is tailored to the needs of discerning customers, this innovative communications technology ensures that processes are precise and highly efficient, allowing the Personal Liaison Managers to focus on providing the important personal touch. Both of these factors, the technological and the personal, guarantee that the customer is provided with the best service possible, and together also confirm the exceptional status enjoyed by the luxury brand. Market and customers
Optimum Starting Position for the Maybach DaimlerChrysler is setting the new standard in the growing market for high-end luxury sedans with the new Maybach, which offers the greatest amount of exclusivity on the basis of cutting-edge automotive technology. The combination of superior performance, extraordinary driving comfort, exquisite quality and ultimate luxury make this automotive masterpiece the vehicle of choice among discerning customers, thus securing DaimlerChrysler an optimum starting position in this segment. According to market studies conducted by DaimlerChrysler, the potential annual worldwide customer base for high-end luxury automobiles numbers approximately 8,000. In addition, there are strong signs that this traditionally stable market will grow in the future, with North America and Southeast Asia being the most promising regions. What’s more, market-researchers have discovered that the economic climate for luxury products is generally positive. Irrespective of the product sector, customers of luxury goods place great value on high quality, individuality, exclusivity, tradition and � particularly in the case of luxury automobiles such as the Maybach � top-performing technology. The United States will be the main market for the Maybach DaimlerChrysler underscores its claim of offering the greatest amount of exclusivity by producing Maybach sedans only individually and on order. Although the new Maybach will not celebrate its public debut until the Paris Auto Show this fall, initial orders have already been received from all over the world, with the largest number of buyers in North America, Europe and Asia. The vehicle‘s key market will be the United States, followed by Europe (particularly Germany and the UK), the Persian Gulf states and Asia. Top business executives, politicians and celebrities as potential customers Potential Maybach customers are to be found all over the world. They particularly value distinctiveness and desire products and services that offer exclusivity, individuality, high performance and top quality. Potential customers who find the Maybach especially appealing include successful entrepreneurs and show-business celebrities. In addition, governments are interested in using the sedan as a limousine. Maybach directly addresses potential and existing customers and maintains contact with them at all times. Organizing presentations of the vehicle at special occasions is one of the primary means of doing this. The Maybach manufacturing facility
Perfect Symbiosis between High-Tech Production and Skilled Craftsmanship With the new Maybach, DaimlerChrysler is presenting a high-end luxury sedan that stands out through its unique space and comfort, exquisite quality, exclusive styling and the cutting-edge technology provided by its sister brand Mercedes-Benz. The special nature of this one-of-a-kind vehicle is greatly influenced by the extraordinary manner in which it is produced, as Maybach sedans are the result of an ideal combination of skilled craftsmanship and high-tech assembly at a specially equipped production plant. Covering 21,000 square meters, the Maybach manufacturing facility is an integral part of DaimlerChrysler’s Sindelfingen plant, the world’s most important production location for premium-class automobiles. In close proximity to the Center of Excellence, a select group of about 330 highly skilled professionals from the plant will begin producing an average of five of these automotive masterpieces per day in the fall of 2002. With their extensive experience and outstanding skills, these employees will ensure that the luxury sedans are absolutely perfect in every respect, fulfilling even the most demanding customer wishes. The high-end luxury sedans are to be produced exclusively to order and � as another special distinction of the manufacturing facility � always in accordance with each customer’s specific wishes and requirements. The extreme distinctiveness of each vehicle will require that many production steps, such as the construction of the vehicle interior and the paintwork, be conducted by hand. State-of-the-art production technology will then be used to further enhance the car’s quality � thus creating a perfect symbiosis between high-tech production and skilled craftsmanship. Offering an impressive example of the high degree of such craftsmanship are the more than 100 manually produced trim elements for the interior of the Maybach 62. The combination of exquisite types of leather � grand nappa, nappa and nubuk � and selected fine woods, such as finely grained ambiona, create a unique atmosphere. A veritable woodworking masterpiece is the three-part laminated trim strip, an automotive first. The strip is 563 centimeters long, 3.9 centimeters thick and 3.3 centimeters wide, and extends in an elegant sweep across the interior of the Maybach, from the instrument panel to the door trim. Around 20 steps are needed to attach the individual wood veneers � which are only about a millimeter thick � to the thin aluminum inserts. Altogether, 63 different steps are involved in the assembly of a single laminated trim strip. The Maybach’s Type 12 engine is also largely assembled by hand. With 405 kW/550 hp and 900 Nm of torque, it is not only the world’s most powerful sedan engine, but also the one with the highest torque. The engine is assembled from about 750 individual parts at the DaimlerChrysler plant in Berlin-Marienfelde. From body-in-white to final assembly in four weeks Due to the labor-intensive production methods, it takes just over four weeks to complete a single Maybach. The results speak for themselves, however, as each Maybach is a masterpiece with a perfect finish down to the last detail. What’s more, each vehicle is essentially unique, since there are potentially some 2.2 million combinations of standard and optional features to choose from. Maybach customers therefore need not be concerned about a lack of choices when it comes to equipping their luxury sedans to match their individual tastes. Before the vehicle is handed over to the customer � the moment of truth, as it were � the car is subjected to an extensive final checkup at the Maybach manufacturing facility. This consists of a functional test and a final check of the vehicle, followed by an initial test drive lasting several hours. Experienced inspectors apply their senses of sight, sound, smell and touch to identify even the smallest irregularities. In addition, they have access to state-of-the-art measuring and diagnostic equipment to help with any troubleshooting. Thanks to the harmonious interaction of high-tech production and equipment and skilled craftsmanship, the Maybach manufacturing facility produces incomparable automobiles that open up a new chapter in the history of the high-end luxury sedans more than 60 years after the first Maybach era came to a close. At the same time, the new Maybach’s production process reflects DaimlerChrysler‘s extraordinary expertise as the most innovative and longest-standing automobile manufacturer in the world. The Maybach 62
High-End Luxury Sedan with Superior Performance Leading-edge technology and superior performance combined with the ultimate in exclusivity and quality � these are the core attributes upon which the new Maybach bases its claim of being the world’s finest prestige sedan. As the high-end luxury brand in the DaimlerChrysler brand portfolio, the Maybach benefits from the technological edge and the expertise of its sister brand Mercedes-Benz. The Maybach 62, whose world premiere in New York in early July created a sensation, marks the continuation of a great tradition 61 years after the first Maybach era came to a close. In the 1920s and 30s, Mercedes-Benz and Maybach had already ranked high among the world’s leading luxury automobile brands. The combination of innovative developments from Mercedes-Benz with the exclusivity and individuality of the Maybach has now created an incomparable new prestige vehicle that positions DaimlerChrysler at the pinnacle of a very small and elite market segment. Using the terminology common in yacht construction, the model designation Maybach 62 denotes the vehicle’s length of 6.17 meters. The second model, the Maybach 57, is 5.73 meters in length and will celebrate its premiere at the Paris Auto Show at the End of September. Design: A perfect balance of classic and avant-garde The styling of the Maybach 62 reflects the superlative refinement of its features and its superior driving comfort. The harmonious synergy of contours, surfaces and colors creates a design quality that underscores the independent character of this super-premium sedan and endows it with an unmistakable identity. The Maybach displays its eminence in a style of refined elegance. A perfect balance of classic and avant-garde feature creates a special stylistic allure. Its lines do not conform to passing trends but instead create an enduring beauty, which characterizes both the external design and the vehicle’s interior. Interior: Generous space and a new dimension of luxury With an interior length of 2.68 meters and intelligent engineering, the Maybach 62 is the first automobile that was literally designed around the passengers in the rear compartment, allowing them to enjoy a more spacious environment and a more comfortable ride than in any production vehicle. Configured as a chauffeured limousine, the Maybach 62 provides the most generous measurements today in all relevant dimensions, such as head, shoulder and knee clearance in the rear (65 centimeters). The interior has been heavily insulated against any type of driving noise. In this whisper-quiet environment, the adjustable rear seat � the result of an extensive engineering program � provides a uniquely restful experience. Seven electric motors allow the occupant to adjust the seat for perfect comfort to ensure a relaxing trip of the kind previously attainable only in the first-class recliners of late-model passenger jets. But unlike those, the Maybach recliner is also equipped with a memory function as well as a multi-contour backrest with a massage function and an integrated safety system with a crash-active backrest. Individuality: Some 2.2 million equipment variations Anything Maybach passengers might wish for in terms of entertainment, communication facilities and enjoyment is provided as standard equipment �from a DVD player and television set to a mini-refrigerator and a cordless telephone with two handsets. Nevertheless, the wealth of standard equipment still leaves great room for individuality. As a case in point, Maybach customers can choose from six colors and three types of ornamental wood for the interior design. There are 17 colors available for the body and � as another elegant feature of the Maybach � these can be combined in various two-tone color schemes. About two dozen other optional features provide even more choices. These include exclusive innovations from Mercedes-Benz, such as the DISTRONIC proximity cruise control, the KEYLESS-GO access control and locking system, a unique panoramic roof with electro-transparent glass, and active seat ventilation. The combination of standard and optional features provided by this comprehensive customization program adds up to about 2.2 million possible variations. What’s more, Maybach customers can express their individual preferences and order high-quality accessories designed specifically for this luxury sedan – from a champagne goblet made of sterling silver and a luggage set to a humidor and a golf bag. Technology: Mercedes-Benz innovations as standard equipment Outstanding innovations that have previously been available only from Mercedes-Benz have been further perfected for the Maybach and are now part of its standard equipment. These include the electrohydraulic Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC™) system, the electronically controlled AIRMATIC DC (Dual Control) pneumatic suspension, the LINGUATRONIC voice-control system, the COMAND APS operating and display system and the TELEAID automatic emergency-call system. Added to these are further leading-edge automotive engineering features that were developed especially for the Maybach and validate its claim to the high-end position in the luxury segment. Examples include a 600-Watt sound system with Dolby surround sound at every seat, the electric locking system for the rear doors and the powerful four-zone climate control with two separate air conditioning units. The engine: Record values for performance and torque The newly developed engine for the Maybach demonstrates DaimlerChrysler’s experience and expertise in the development and manufacture of 12-cylinder engines. The Stuttgart automaker is the world’s leading manufacturer of V12 engines for passenger cars. With 5.5 liters of total displacement, the dual turbo engine of the Maybach delivers 405 kW/550 hp and reaches its maximum torque of 900 Nm at 2300 rpm. This makes the �Type 12� engine � whose emissions are already lower than the stringent EU-4 limits for 2005 � the most powerful production engine for a sedan in terms of both torque and overall performance. What’s more, this powerhouse ensures the superior acceleration that one expects of a Maybach: The Maybach 62 accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds, and from 60 to 120 km/h in only 6.5 seconds. Safety: Passenger protection with ten airbags In addition to its elaborately engineered body structure, the exemplary safety design of the Maybach 62 includes a total of ten airbags: two adaptive airbags with two-stage inflators for the driver and front passenger, four sidebags, and two large windowbags on each side of the interior. Three-point seat belts with automatic comfort control, automatic belt tensioners and belt force limiters are integrated into the seats and can therefore develop their full protective effect in any seat position. Thanks to this comprehensive safety equipment, the new Maybach has passed the rigorous crash tests of the European and American NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) with flying colors. The innovative Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC™) developed by Mercedes-Benz contributes significantly to the driving safety of this sedan, which has a top speed of 250 km/h. A sophisticated braking system that includes ventilated disk brakes with dual calipers on the front axle ensures excellent stopping power.