For some kings, presidents, dictators, and strongmen, the
non-Pullman Mercedes-Maybach just doesn't have the presence to suitably awe
bystanders. Mercedes hopes the new Pullman limousine will awe everybody
involved, and the key is with length. 3.5 extra feet of it, to be precise,
putting the monster at 21.3 feet in total. That's basically twice the length of
a Hummer H1.
The real treat's inside. Not up front—that's the chauffeur's
work station. Instead, peer into the back. For most Mercedes-Pullman customers,
that space will contain a "club lounge" featuring two forward-facing,
reclining thrones that allow a reclined backrest angle of a nap-worthy 43.5
degrees. Like a traditional Pullman, two other passengers can sit against the
main partition facing to the rear. By special request, Mercedes will nix those
two less-regal positions and allow the royalty in back to ride alone.
The top-flight Pullman S 600 features the venerable
twin-turbo, 6-liter V12 good for 523 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque at just 1900
RPM. Of course, it's still based on the S-Class architecture, just like the
shorter Mercedes-Maybach models.
This all comes on the 50th anniversary of the original
Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman, the hand-crafted and massively overbuilt icon that
was ubiquitous in 1960s and 1970s motorcades, which coincides with the launch
of the new Pullman in Geneva. Without armor, the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman will
start at $566,922 in the beginning of 2016. Americans, though, should hold
their horses; Mercedes is still evaluating whether the model will be sold in
the U.S.
