STATUS SALOON HERE AGAIN

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We have small saloons, or cars with boots, like the Honda City or Suzuki SX4, executive saloons like the Civic or Corolla, premium saloons like the Accord or Camry and luxury saloons like the BMW 7 Series or Mercedes S Class. Last year, Indian customers bought around 4,70,000 saloons including about 20,000 luxury saloons. There is however another even higher class of ultra luxury saloons like the iconic Bentley and Rolls Royce that were picked up by nearly 100 elite Indian customers.

At the end of the last century the Rolls Royce was the last word in ultra luxury saloons even though they were being powered by BMW engines. BMW’s great German rival Volkswagen leapt into the fray when the company faced a financial crunch and bought the auto division not realising that BMW had already bought the RR brand. VW therefore got the Crewe plant and the Bentley brand while BMW set up a brand new plant at Goodwood to make a brand new ultra luxury saloon in 2003. Mercedes Benz, despite its huge corporate standing, could not be left out of the race so they resurrected an old prestige marque — the Maybach and created their interpretation of the ultimate car.
The new Maybach had been introduced to Indian customers soon after its global launch in 1997, but faded from the public eye. On the occasion of Mercedes Benz’s 125 year celebrations it has been relaunched. The 5.7 meter long Maybach 57 and the longer 6.2 meter Maybach 62, powered by V/12, 550 and 630 HP engines, offer every detail in automotive luxury that any customer could desire. Being fully imported their prices are not for the faint hearted and the prices of between `4.5 to `5.5 crores are only indicative because customers get custom built cars with a list of luxury accessories exclusive to the Maybach.
In this ultra luxury class there are a few luxury sports cars as well with the 1000 HP Bugatti Veyron at a mind boggling `16 crores on top of the tree. A few Ferraris and Meceratis costing a bomb are followed by the Porsche Panamera.
These magnificent machines should not be called cars. They are statements of status on four. They however cost so much to own or repair even for the smallest paint touch up that they are mostly nothing more than very expensive metal sculptures to decorate the driveways.

The writer is an automotive expert and was the former editor of a national auto magazine