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Originally Posted by Mr. Mercedes  Do you really think so?  I think of it along the lines of it being an exclusive (truly engineered like no other) range of Mercedes vehicles. Because everyone knows Mercedes are now more than ever restricted by commercial realities. They can not engineer a car far superior to the competition, charge 50% more for it and expect it to sell in the numbers they aim for. Like it or not, every Mercedes these days is a result of a cost compromise. The Maybach brand could be used to overcome this.
It would also fit nicely with:
1. Mercedes-Benz
2. Mercedes-Maybach
3. Mercedes-McLaren
Mercedes-McLaren and Mercedes-Maybach would provide the perfect Halo range for Mercedes-Benz. For what Mercedes currently stands for, having this name associated with a range of absolutely premium vehicles would only enhance, not harm, the brand. That is assuming the new Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes-McLaren vehilcles are truly oustanding and not mediocre. |
Mercedes brand has one of the biggest brand caches in the world.
From the beginning DB should done this - I've been supporter of this way for a long time:
Mercedes-Smart range: premium sub-compact cars (not city-midgests like today)
Mercedes-Benz range: core MB models
Mercedes-McLaren range: supercars (Porsche / Ferrari / Lambo fighters)
Mercedes-Maybach range: ultra-luxury cars (RR / Bentley fighters)
Mercedes-??? range: commercial vehicles (trucks, buses, vans, etc)
This would be a perfect brand portfolio - blessed with Mercedes aura (via name & engineering). Of course product should follow premium orientation - without shortcuts in quality, and without advantages like "lets-make-a-toy-cars", & "lets-make-an-ultraluxurycar-on-an-old-Sclass-platform".
And this would work much better than a marriage with Chrysler.
But ... today it's too late for such a strategy. Smart produces toy, and failures (Roadster, For4). Maybach is lost & confused, McLaren underestimated, MB still fighting with past mistakes.
Doomed company - mostly due non-focused management & investors.