The Ultimate Maybach

Back in 1938, Fulda commissioned Maybach to build a streamlined coupe to conduct 120-mph-plus tire tests. That car is lost, but for 2005, Fulda has done it again. Maybach's Exetero is designed to test 315/25ZR23 Fuldas at speeds in excess of 217 mph (350 kph). The Exetero is slightly shorter than the Maybach 57, and engineers bumped its 5.6-liter twin-turbo V-12's capacity to 5.9 liters. The result is 700 horsepower and at least 738 pound-feet of torque. Maybach insists it's a one-off, but since the DaimlerChrysler flagship is a bespoke automaker anyway, just a handful of customer inquiries could turn it into a "production" car. Meanwhile, development continues on a midsize Maybach based off the next Mercedes S-Class and aimed at the Bentley Continental. That Maybach will be built as a four-door hardtop and possibly as a convertible.