The Maybach Excelero Concept, which was built in conjunction with German tyre manufacturer Fulda three years ago, is unofficially the world’s fastest limousine. Want it?
By Matthew Berman
The Maybach Excelero Concept stole headlines and stirred the imaginations of petrolheads across the globe in 2005. With its long-sweeping curves and menacing-looking grille, headlights, exhausts, well… everything, the 515-kW Excelero surely makes the top of most caped crusaders’ shopping lists!
Developed by Maybach for Fulda Reifenwerke, which used the one-off model to test and promote its range of sports tyres, the Excelero was unveiled at the Tempodrom in Berlin. Its interior was detailed, with no consideration of cost, with hides from a whole herd of cows. Awash with red and black leather, assorted Mercedes-Benz switchgear and futuristic blue dials, the Excelero bore a striking resemblance to the favoured ride of Bruce Wayne’s alter ego.
Mercedes Car Group specialists fitted a 5,9-litre turbocharged V12 engine to the black beast. The unit produces maximum power of 515 kW at 5 000 r/min, and a mind-boggling maximum torque figure of 1 020 N.m at 2 500 r/min. When tested on the high-speed track at Nardo (Italy), the vehicle reached a top speed of 351,45 km/h. The ultimate in speed and luxury then…
Based on the Maybach 57, the Excelero is no small fry – it’s 5 890 mm long, 2 140 mm wide and 1 390 mm high (almost too big for the Bat Cave). To make sure the rubber really gets onto the road it rides on a double wishbone front- and multi link rear suspensions. And, no surprise, it’s shod with 23-inch Fulda rubber.
And the best news yet is that this one off monster is now on sale for the paltry sum of £4 million (that’s the equivalent of R60,4 million)! Since I don’t have my cheque book on me right at this moment, I can only hope that it will be bought by someone who will really see just how good those tyres are, instead of putting this true one-off wonder into a glass box for the rest of its days…
