Forget Teslas and Black Label Lincolns and the upper strata of truckdom — the most expensive vehicle produced in North America will soon be a German offering with an MSRP about 100 grand higher than its domestic neighbors.
An American production site for this vehicle is appropriate, however, as it’s an SUV; the first offered by the Mercedes-Maybach sub-brand.
Based on the Vance, Alabama-built Mercedes-Benz GLS full-size SUV, the Maybach model will enter production this year and begin appearing in music videos and the driveways of well-manicured homes early next year, Automotive News reports. Sources claim the model, previewed by the odd Vision Ultimate Luxury concept, should carry a price tag of about $200,000.
Adjusted for inflation, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS’s expected starting price will top that of the American-built Duesenberg Model J, which sold for $9,500 in 1932 (roughly $175,000 in 2019 dollars). The economy’s doing a little better in the present day, however.
While last year’s concept vehicle boasted wheels like GE turbofans and a sedan-like trunk, expect this high-riding vehicle to gain a normal SUV body in production form. Its reason for joining the Daimler stable is, as Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Dietmar Exler explained, to serve as a “halo car.”
More Maybach versions of Mercedes-Benz vehicles are on the way, Exler said, though only vehicles with a certain level of status will make the cut.
“We’ll logically extend it where it makes sense,” Exler told AN. “I cannot imagine you will have a Maybach A class. But on the top luxury cars, to have the luxury edition makes a whole lot of sense for us.”
He added, “It will help build the Mercedes brand, no question.”
Maybach is a latecomer to the rarified segment of ultra-lux SUVs. Already, nearly every true luxury brand has an SUV ready for the taking — Bentley, Rolls-Royce, even Lamborghini. Not playing in this space would hurt the badge’s relevance and deprive its parent of generous profits. And profits there will be, as this category of vehicles shows no sign of decline.
[Images: Daimler AG]
They should all wear camouflage, as a public service.
Marysville, Ohio is the production location of the Acura NSX, a car which can be optioned to $200K, should anyone actually want one.
The half million dollar Ford GT also qualifies, since the actual statement in the article is “The most expensive vehicle produced in North America”
I’ll see that one and raise you the Ford-class aircraft carrier that is under construction. They’re $17 billion a piece.
OK – I don’t see anyone besting that…
Why – SLS/Orion system – billions upon billions with no end on site.
Was it Mae West who said “nothing succeeds like excess” ?
The proportions of the Maybach CUV compare to a 1950’s
Mercedes Benz 300 Adenauer.
They may just figure it’s too damn ugly to make in Germany.
I like the turbofan wheel design. The rest……blah.
i don’t recognize that skyline in the PR pic, and it looks like CGI. one of the buildings kinda looks like one in Dubai.
Is that a real place–anyone know?
I believe that is Chongqing, which truthfully looks like it was created with CGI.
Maybach: Exclusivity without desirability.
Die neue Deutsche Donk.
What great taxis they’ll make.
AMG Eagle.
It all goes back to the AMC Eagle. I kick myself to this day for not purchasing a clean used SX4 in the late 80’s.
It’s goofy … but I kind of like it. I hope to eventually see one in the wild, though it may be a long shot.
LOL. North Shore of LI, Greenwich CT, Tenafly, NJ, Beverley, Hills, CA as soon as it gets off the ship….places where Bentley sells because “everyone has a benz”.
That $9,500 Duesenberg J was only for the rolling chassis and drivetrain, and you would need to add about $2,500 to $10,000 for a customer body to go on top. One particularly model was famously called the Twenty Grand because that was the cost of the chassis and body, and that price did not include navigation, A/C, automatic transmission, ABS, airbags, power steering, power windows, or massage seats, but did include an altimeter.
Yep, beat me to it. Duesies were expensive when fully outfitted, & in the depths of the Great Depression were even more so.
The “20 Grand” is engine J-513 & chassis #2539, & is a long wheelbase model with one of the (32) factory supercharged engines. Bodied by Rollston, one of one, for the 1993 World’s Fair in Chicago. Currently can be seen at the Nethercutt Collection in San Sylmar, CA.
Other Duesies also topped $20,000 when complete like Rudolph Bauer’s J-397.
Ugh! Ugggghhh! This isn’t even a wagon. WTF is the point??
Some few will buy them but I’m betting it won’t be all that many. 5000 tops for US sales per year.
5,000? So you’re saying that if sales trends continue as reported on here, this thing will be outselling the Honda Accord in a few years??
@Superdessuke: Did you miss the word, ‘tops’ in my comment?
I like it!! It is refreshing to see something different than the boring 2-box SUV’s on the road. I just would not pay $200.000 for it. since it’s a Mercedes…………..it should depreciate rather quickly………..I’ll buy it used!!
I’d love to say something positive about the way it looks just to be contrarian, but I can’t. If someone had told me it was a proposed new Lincoln, I’d have believed them.
It’s got two sphincters!
Well, for *that* kind of money….
Well….having the ugliest amorphous blob in the ‘hood is one type of “exclusivity”.
Wonder when an example will show up on a BHPH lot. Saw a 12 cyl. Mercedes at one a few years back. Can’t wait for the 4th owner cruzin’ down the street blasting gangsta rap.
The back end of a 7th-Gen Accord and the face of a Hyundai (or really, anything on the current market), its the worlds most overpriced SUS (Sport Utility sedan).
Its cars like this that just make me loath “luxury” brands, I’m sure it’ll be comfy and have a ton of gadgets, too bad it looks like a generic videogame car.
I realize that the ‘Buy, Drive, Burn’ series is dedicated to older vehicles, but can we all just agree that this, even now, is just BURN, BURN, BURN!.
Thankfully at it’s price point I’ll never see one in real life.
Ehhh….we mis-identified the purpose behind this atrocity. It’s a sociological survey of our society. The more they sell the greater it is an indicator of the dystopian future that awaits us, where the filthy rich have neither taste, character or intelligence.