Twice a dozen - Maybach V24
08/17/2023
Anyone who thought that after the Cadillac V16 it couldn't get any bigger was proved wrong by Daimler-Chrysler in 1999. During the development phase of the new Maybach based on the S-Class, the Stuttgart team led by Hermann Gaus also toyed with the idea of a coupé version. However, unlike the saloon, this was not to be powered by an "ordinary" twelve-cylinder engine. To win the prestige duel against the Bentley Hunaudières and Bugatti EB 218, it had to be something more.
The Daimler engineers' preferred idea was to combine two twelve-cylinder engines of the M 120 model to create a gigantic V24 with a displacement of between twelve and 15 liters and up to 1000 hp thanks to supercharging. They already had an idea of how the whole thing was to be packaged. In the design published by auto motor und sport, not only the name but also the proportions were reminiscent of luxury cars from the 1930s.
In order to accommodate the double dozen cylinders, the hood took up almost half the length of the car, while the passengers were accommodated in a somewhat bulbous cabin that ended in a steep hatchback. A three-tone paintwork with an implied fender line further reinforced the thirties impression. However, the sporty AMG aero light-alloy wheels seem almost a little out of place in view of the intended noblesse.
According to AMS, the Maybach V24 was to be presented at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2001, but this did not happen. Perhaps Stuttgart had realized that just changing the spark plugs would mean a total economic loss.
