By Peter Valdes-Dapena
Mercedes is taking on the likes of Bentley with a long, sparkly convertible unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet is a very exclusive upgraded version of the already-expensive Mercedes S-class Cabriolet. Only 300 of these cars will be made, and they’ll feature lots of gorgeous inlaid wood trim and a loads of extra chrome.
Mercedes hasn’t yet said how much the S650 Cabriolet will cost in the U.S. In Europe, it will run 300,000 euros, which is roughly equivalent to $320,000.
The only Mercedes that’s nearly that expensive is the closely-related Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Cabriolet, which lists at $250,000. And the new Cabriolet will certainly cost a lot more, making it easily the priciest car in the Mercedes line-up.
The Mercedes-Maybach convertible is essentially another variation of S65 AMG Cabriolet, with a heavy emphasis on luxury along with top performance. The Mercedes-Maybach S650 is powered by a 621 horsepower turbocharged V-12 engine. In addition to special paint colors that are exclusive to this model — one red, one white, one blue — there are other decorative elements such as Maybach logo badges. Buyers will also get a set of luggage made from the same leather used on the seats.
They’ll also throw in a certificate signed by worldwide Mercedes head Dieter Zetsche.
Mercedes-Maybach is an ultra-luxury sub-brand of Mercedes Benz that’s intended to compete against cars such Rolls Royce. The car unveiled Tuesday in Beverly Hills will be the first Mercedes-Maybach convertible.
In addition to the well-known Mercedes-Benz brand and the Mercedes-Maybach brand, Mercedes also has the Mercedes-AMG performance brand. In the future, Mercedes will also offer the Mercedes-EQ line of plug-in cars.
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