Maybach Exelero
The Maybach Exelero is a high-performance concept car designed and built by luxury marque Maybach, and presented in May 2005. The 690 hp (SAE) (514 kW) two-seater with a bi-turbo V12 engine is a one-off design commissioned by Fulda Tyres. Fulda is using this Maybach as a reference vehicle to test a new generation of wide tyres. The German luxury car manufacturer created the one-off model as a modern interpretation of its legendary streamlined car of the 1930s. There are various allusions to the historical predecessor, which was likewise based on a powerful Maybach automobile, in this case the Maybach SW 38, and was also used by Fulda for tyre testing.
Specifications
Length : 5.89 m (19.3 ft)
Width : 2.14 m (7.0 ft)
Weight : 2660 kg (5864 lb)
Engine : V12 bi-turbo from Maybach 57 S 690 hp (SAE) (522 kW), 1020 N·m (737 ft·lbf)
Top speed : 351 km/h (218 mph)
Tires : 315/25 ZR 23
Fuel used for Top speed test: 110 octane (6€/liter)
A one-off custom-built Maybach was unveiled in May 2005 at the Tempodrom in Berlin. Commissioned by tyre company Fulda, the Exelero is a chopped-down two-seater coupe, though it's more than just a show car - in tests at the Nardo high-speed oval, the prototype reached a speed of 218.38mph, despite weighing over 2.66 tonnes. It is capable of acceleration from 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds.
The car's design was the result of a competition amongst students at the Pforzheim Polytechnic Department of Transport Design, which has worked on show vehicles for Fulda in the past. The design of 24-year-old Fredrik Burchhardt was chosen, and his work was co-ordinated with that of the Maybach design centre in Sindelfingen.
The project, based on the Maybach 57 limousine, required a certain amount of re-engineering; the A-pillar and doors had to be shifted rearwards, and the steering column, pedals and gearshift all re-located. The standard 550bhp V12 engine was bored out to 5.9 litres, and tuned for 700bhp and over 738lb ft of torque. With final dimensions of 5890mm long, 2140mm wide and just 1390mm high, the car was kitted out with a full-spec interior, including leather, neoprene, aluminium and carbonfibre finishes.
Maybach says the car, built by Stola in Turin, is "a one-off vehicle created to showcase the new ultra-high performance Exelero tyre range from leading tyre manufacturer Fulda"; it's not the first time the two companies have teamed up, as back in 1938 Fulda demonstrated its tyres on a Maybach SW 38 limousine. There are, however, "no plans to produce the model in series", though it has been certified for on-road use.
