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Maybach Unveils Fulda-Commissioned 350 KM/H+ Exelero Coupe

Cooperation between German Luxury Car Brand and Tire Company Goes Back Sixty-Six Years

Advertisements and specialty vehicles go hand in hand, particularly in the automotive world. Countless companies use specialty vehicles to portray new products, which have resulted in some of the most glamorous and far-out cars on earth. Fulda Reifenwerk, the German subsidiary of the Goodyear tire company, may have just topped the worlds best with a one-off 700-horsepower Maybach Exelero Coupe, specifically designed to draw attention to its new Exelero, super-wide high-performance tire.

Of all the different carmakers Fulda could have worked with, it chose Germanys ultimate luxury brand Maybach. The connection between the two firms dates back to the 1930s, when

Fulda Reifenwerk, the German subsidiary of the Goodyear tire company, has just unvieled a one-off 700-horsepower Maybach Exelero Coupe. (Photo: Fulda Reifenwerk)

the duo challenged Auto Union (one of the firms that joined together to form Audi) and Mercedes-Benz for a crack at breaking the 200 km/h barrier on Germanys autobahns. In 1938, Fulda commissioned the Maybach SW 38, a streamlined two-door coupe based off the Zeppelin chassis to perform high-speed tests for its tires. Powered by a 140-horsepower 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine, the SW 38 was capable of surpassing 200 km/h (124 mph), pushing the performance

The Exelero was built as a high-speed machine, capable of speeds above 350 km/h (218 mph). (Photo: Fulda Reifenwerk)

envelope (back then, at least).

In 2005, separated by more than sixty-six years, the Maybach and Fulda team are back together, thanks to the reincarnation of the long-dormant brand name by DaimlerChrysler AG. Much like the SW 38, the Exelero was built as a high-speed machine, although this time Fulda commissioned the vehicle to achieve speeds of above 350 km/h (218 mph)!

While its true that the underlying achievement for the Exelero was to exceed its target speed, there were other goals that both firms agreed upon. The two companies

The shape of the finished Exelero is a combination of four separate designs, which include elements such as the split rear window of the 60s Corvette Stingray, to the rear hull of a speedboat. (Photo: Fulda Reifenwerk)

wanted a limousine that paid homage to the original in terms of styling and image. The job of styling the car fell to Pforzheim Polytechnicals Design Department which came up several potential designs. The shape of the finished Exelero is a combination of four separate designs, which include elements such as the split rear window of the 60s Corvette Stingray, to the rear hull of a speedboat. The main pieces of inspiration, however, were the original 1930s speed machines.

Compared to the Maybach 57 and 62, the luxury marques current production models, the new Exelero is of a completely different design language. The car is based

Maybach hopes to shake the recently obtained reputation of being an S-Class copycat, and restore the glory and prestige of its earlier years. (Photo: Fulda Reifenwerk)

around the shorter of the two limousines, the 5.7-meter (18.7-foot) long 57, which still gives it a gigantic footprint. Whats more, it is slightly longer than the 57 at 230.3 inches, substantially wider at 84.25 inches, yet has an identical wheelbase of 133.5 inches. The only measurement that comes up short on the Exelero is height, at just 54.7 inches tall. Nevertheless, the Exelero never seems as large as it actually is, thanks to a well-proportioned body which features a long hood and a swept back cockpit.

With this concept, Maybach hopes to shake the recently obtained reputation of being an S-Class copycat, and restore the glory and prestige of its earlier years. A new nose, complete with a massive, chrome-clad grille, arched fenders and swept-back headlamps give it a bold, almost

Though the Exelero is a two-seater, the interiors layout is standard Maybach fare. (Photo: Fulda Reifenwerk)

menacing demeanor. Rising up from its fenders and along its side profile, several chiseled edges add texture and flair to the window line, which Fulda likens to an F1 racer. The car culminates at a pointed tail with a tapered rear screen, and waterfall tail lamps. To prevent its ingot-like body from being defiled by scoops, vents and spoilers, Maybach craftily stylized the front, side and rear skirts to channel air under the car and into a Venturi diffuser to create downforce and improve ventilation for the engine and brakes at speed.

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