Mercedes-Maybach’s Vision 6 Cabriolet is what Jay Gatsby would drive if he made his millions in Silicon Valley during the dot-com boom.
It’s no secret that Mercedes-Maybach wants to dethrone Rolls-Royce. Part of its model offensive will include a majestic convertible that blends luxury, finesse, and performance into a package tailored specifically for the world’s most discerning buyers. The Vision 6 Cabriolet concept sheds insight into what it could look like.
The name and the massive chromed grille might ring a bell, because the 20-foot-long Vision 6 is a topless version of the eponymous concept shown at last year’s edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance. The dark blue paint brings out the gorgeous proportions and the art deco-inspired lines. This is the car Jay Gatsby would drive if he made his money in Silicon Valley during the dot-com boom.
Cascading lines make the exterior look like it flows into the interior, a styling cue reminiscent of the high-end yachts typically anchored in the Monaco harbor. The two passengers are treated to white nappa leather attached to a frame via back-lit buttons. Rubber mats are far too banal, so Maybach lined the floors with open-pore wood and aluminum inlays.
Key information about the car and its surrounding is projected on a pair of head-up displays located right in front of the driver, and a built-in concierge function promises to take voice-recognition software to the next level by eliminating built-in commands. The passengers can talk to the car like they would talk to a friend, according to Maybach, and it will understand each and every request.
The extra-long hood implies the Vision 6 Cabriolet is equipped with a mighty V12 engine like the G650 Laundaulet, but Maybach explains the convertible was developed as an electric car from the get-go. It relies on an electric powertrain that provides 750 horsepower, and it boasts up to 200 miles of driving range. The battery pack is stuffed under the passenger compartment, a packaging solution that leaves enough room for a spacious cabin while lowering the center of gravity.
The Vision 6 takes less than four seconds to silently whisk its occupants from 0 to 60 mph. An electric motor is more compact than a big 12-cylinder, so designers transformed the space under the hood into storage space with individual compartments for plates, coffee mugs, and cutlery. Rolls-Royce’s picnic basket is a lot less impressive now, isn’ t it?
You have a few years to play your cards right on Wall Street, make it to the NBA, or win the Powerball if you want to put the Vision 6 Cabriolet in your garage. While it’s billed as merely a concept that looks “far into the future” of the brand, sources close to Maybach suggest it’s a thinly veiled preview of a model that will debut in production guise before the end of the decade. Whether it will retain the concept’s electric drivetrain is anyone’s guess at this point.
