Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet breaks cover at Pebble Beach
The headline event at Monterey Car Week provides the backdrop for Mercedes-Benz’s opulent open-top concept
Impressing the wealthiest car collectors pacing the manicured greens of The Lodge will take some doing. The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet’s job is exactly that – redefining luxury in the motoring realm. It's a convertible version of the similarly opulent Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 coupe.
The vast open-top looks every bit its 5.7m length, with the front end (itself the size of a supermini) contributing to its nautical look.
Attention to detail has been poured over every design element inside and out, from the rose gold fabric roof to the quartet of 24-inch multi-spoke wheels. The car's vast arcing bonnet stretches out from the raked windscreen and converges on a nose dominated by a huge Mercedes-Maybach grille. The fluid beltline flows backwards towards a reclining rear end.
Hinged at the centre of the three-piece bonnet, two wing-like panels angle up toward each other unveiling a comprehensive picnic set held in a recessed wooden framing. There's no engine to worry about, of course - the Vision 6 Cabriolet is totally electric, like its coupe sibling.
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The cab-rear design only leaves room for two onboard. Once ensconced in the interior, the materials inventory reads like a billionaire’s yacht: quilted crystal white nappa leather, open-pore floor and aluminum all massage the regal feel, making for a palatial driver’s environment. A two spoke steering wheel protrudes beyond a pair of milled dials that encompass physical needles screwed into digital faces. The brake and accelerator below are two divided halves of an oval contrasted with aluminium inlays.
The sparse fascia solely features a trio of sleeved air vents that sit below a digital display that curves round the cockpit. The control median for the infotainment is a combination of touch only buttons and vocal commands. Mercedes-benz claim you can speak freely to the -amusingly named- onboard Concierge without using awkward predefined commands.
Battery cells line the floor and supply power to four motors, one per wheel, delivering a combined output of 740bhp. 0-62mph is thus dispatched in a prow-raising sub-four seconds and a top speed of 155mph is possible. Although, extracting most of the performance regularly will dent your chances of travelling the 200-plus mile range on a single charge.
