In many ways, the 2017 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet is a continuation concept, taking the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Coupé presented at Pebble Beach in 2016 and removing the top. It is the same 750 hp electric car as last year, with fearsome acceleration and a range of 500 kilometers (311 mi) but visually, the car achieves so much more. The end result was on show yesterday at Pebble Beach 2017, and as can be seen, it is far grander than most roadsters could hope for.
The hallowed Maybach marque was at its most resplendent during the Art Deco period of the 1920s and 1930s, using architectural proportions to sculpt some of history's most imposing automobiles.
The difference between seeing one of these cars in a picture and in the flesh is stark, and the key to the illusion is scale. In the image, everything looks in proportion but when you stand beside it, it is so large that it intimidates any scene. As can be seen from the debut of the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet below, it is an enormous vehicle.
The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet still incorporates the opulence and elegant lines of last year's Coupe concept, but it is the immense size and that glowing interior that transforms the car from an elegant behemoth to a floating 360° open-air luxury lounge.
Maybach: Prestige marque returning from exile
The Maybach name might not be recognizable to many of the people who will oggle this concept car, but it is one of supreme gravitas in the world of automobiles and invariably when it is invoked in a concept car, it is a concept worthy of the name.
Wilhelm Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler collaborated to develop the first viable internal combustion engine and Maybach was one of the most influential automotive engineers in history, having designed the world's first sportscar during his stint as technical director of DMG (Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft), the company that would eventually become Mercedes-Benz.
The glorious Maybach marque was resurrected by Mercedes-Benz in 2002 but after disappointing sales, the entire marque was put back on the shelf and has since been reprised once more as a sub brand of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, positioned as a luxury brand in the same way as Mercedes AMG sports brand.
Last year's Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Coupé was the first Mercedes-Maybach concept car. This year's Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet was the second and, we hope, not the last.
