2005 Maybach Exelero

Just imagine an automobile that combines the elegance and first-class quality of a high-end limousine with the powerful suppleness of a sports coupe. Create a vehicle in your mind's eye which, with an unladen weight of over 2.66 tons and the dimensions of a small transporter, achieves a maximum speed of over 210 mph. Conceive an ultra-high performance tire which not only copes with the aforementioned weight, the dimensions and the speed, but also makes the automobile safe, stable and comfortable. Such a vehicle and such tires do not exist? Now they do. Meet Maybach Exelero with Fulda tires.

Fulda is introducing a new sophisticated high-tech tire to the market. For the most extreme dimension of this tire line, 315/25 ZR 23, licensed for speeds of more than 218 mph (350 km/h), and that as a series tire, not a racing tire, what was needed was a high-speed vehicle but not a racing car. A few years ago, one the most exclusive German automobile makes was revived, why not organize a joint project together once again, just like in the old days.

The contacts were made and thanks to Rene Staud, a world-class photographer of automobiles and an outstanding "networker" of DaimlerChrysler and Fulda Reifen, they were purposefully and effectively developed. Following several coordinating discussions with Leon Hustinx, Maybach's manager, agreement was reached: Maybach's car for Fulda. Which resulted in producing the most elegant symbiosis of design elements of former and present vehicle generations. Transforming a limousine, the basis for the Exelero is the Maybach 57, into a coupe is extremely demanding. Designers were astonished to find that, although the dimensions of the former SW 38 differed in the length (the Maybach 57 has 11 inches longer wheelbase), in terms of breadth and height they were very similar. That simplified a whole series of structural measures.

When considering the engine alternatives, it soon became clear that the basic twelve-cylinder engine used in the Maybach limousines would not achieve the desired maximum speed of around 220 mph despite the Biturbo turbo charger. Here, the Mercedes Car Group leapt into the breach. The engine specialists in Unterturkheim, the place where all basic engines are developed, provided energetic support for the project. After several optimization of the Maybach type 12 engine, the cubic capacity was increased from 5.6 to 5.9 liters and the turbo charge optimized. The result was convincing: on the test bed almost 700 bhp and at least 750 lb-ft of torque were recorded, sufficient to achieve the targeted maximum speed of around 220 mph.

The final test measurements at the end of April/beginning of May 2005, once again on the high speed Motodrom Nardo, then produced the well-earned success of lost of hard work: a top speed of 218.25 mph (351.45 km/h) - a world record for limousines – on standard tires. And yet another world record: between the Fulda idea, the outstanding cooperation of all concerned and the delivery of the Maybach Exelero sports coupe, just 25 months passed.