NEWS ROAD TESTS |
|
2005 Maybach Excelero Show Car |
19th August, 2005 One of the fastest road cars in the world, a one-off multi-million dollar concept from German marque Maybach, will make its world motor show debut at Sydney's Australian International Motor Show in October. Named the Exelero, the coupe recently recorded a terminal velocity of 351.45 km/h on the famed Nardo speed bowl in Italy. The Exelero is powered by a 5.9-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine producing 515 kW of power and 1,020 Nm of torque – enough to push its 2.66 tonnes of kerb weight from rest to 100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds. The Exelero rolls on huge 23-inch diameter wheels wrapped in 315/25-profile tyres from Fulda. The German tyre manufacturer commissioned Maybach – a division of Mercedes Car Group – to build the concept as a mobile test bed for its new generation of ultra-wide tyres. The Exelero also reprises its legendary streamliner of the 1940s which – once again using Fulda tyres – set a speed of almost 200 km/h on one of Germany’s then new autobahns. The new car is based on the mechanical architecture of the Maybach 57 limousine, but the Exelero is 16 cm wider and even longer at almost 5.9 metres – the result of its carefully streamlined shape. Despite its frontal area, the Exelero’s drag coefficient is a low 0.27 – comparable to many sports cars. The Maybach concept’s extraordinary styling is the result of cooperation between the company and students from the respected Pforzheim College of automotive design in Germany. The designers wanted the Exelero to be road-legal, so the concept’s lights, mirrors, bumper bars and other safety features all comply with current European regulations. Maybach says, however, that it has no plans to put the coupe into production. The Exelero is expected to be displayed at the Australian International Motor Show at Sydney’s Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre from 13th October until 23rd October. Some other news articles:
|