It is a well-known fact that luxury customers tick differently – especially in China, so it is not surprising that the first Maybach Atelier did not open its doors in Germany, the Emirates or the USA, but in Shanghai. The address is just as stylish as the Maybach brand itself, as the first studio is located in the Bund Finance Center number 558 in the heart of Shanghai. Due to the strict pandemic policy in China, the opening event was held with a national emphasis and was themed "Heritage with Innovation".

Maybach has not had it easy since its brand relaunch over the past two decades. The big plans to take the automotive elite by storm with the two luxury sedans Maybach 57 and 62 flopped and the brand, despite G-Class experiments, convertible tests and Zeppelin special editions, was temporarily buried, only to be seen again after a short break as more image-boosting Brand offshoots of Mercedes to be relaunched. In the meantime, however, the vehicles are no longer independent Maybach models. With the new SL, AMG has meanwhile been able to produce its third vehicle that is not available in the Mercedes portfolio.

In contrast to Rolls-Royce, Bentley or Ferrari, Maybach is currently not planning its own coach building either; means bodies that are created for small or special series. Maybach will not even have its own models, such as sister brand AMG with its GT or SL. “We have to differentiate ourselves in the interior. More luxurious and exclusive than before,” says Maybach CEO Daniel Lescow. Having your own vehicle like the off-road one-off Maybach Virgil Abloh is therefore not an issue. In terms of engine performance, too, Maybach in particular does not want to compete with the new electric brands. “The engine output is always more than sufficient,” the Mercedes manager quotes his main competitor, Rolls-Royce.

The Maybach studio in Shanghai, like the other 20 or so branches that will follow by the end of the decade, wants to be more than a traditional salesroom in itself. In this way, interested parties can put together their own dream vehicle in the separate rooms undisturbed and according to their exclusive taste. Touching surfaces, testing leather and creating decors - this should not least be made possible by large screens with digital installations and configurators, while a specially trained Maybach consultant supports the willing customer with information. The Virgil Abloh show car and the special edition of the Maybach S 680 by Virgil Abloh are currently on display in the Atelier – certainly a good choice as inspiration for your own configuration. "Building on the global success of Mercedes Maybach over the years, particularly in China, it is a logical step for us to open the world's first Maybach Atelier in Shanghai," said Jan Madeja, CEO Beijing Mercedes Benz Sales, "with the With the attention to detail typical of Maybach combined with the latest technology, we are offering Chinese customers an extraordinary experience here.”

Maybach will gradually become an electric brand along the way. The image-boosting twelve-cylinder is currently one of the biggest distinguishing features compared to the Mercedes S-Class. "Mercedes is developing upwards, so Maybach has to go even higher," explains Daniel Lescow, "we have to jump higher than before. No customer demands that we are the fastest or the most powerful, but there is still a great demand for V12 engines.” However, this will be over at the latest when emission class 7 with its limit values ​​shuts off the living space of such combustion engines. As early as next year, the Mercedes EQS SUV should come as a Maybach version, as can the Mercedes SL, and a Maybach version of the G-Class is also likely. It had already existed as an open Landaulet variant in a limited edition of 100. “We offer unique moments that are tailored to the lifestyle of our customers. With this new, tailor-made retail format, we celebrate artistic interpretation; we add a pinch of magic to the excellence typical of Maybach and create moments that make the extensive heritage and progressive future of the brand tangible," says Daniel Lescow.