After years of trying to win over entry-luxury buyers, Mercedes-Benz is shifting gears, putting more of an emphasis on the extreme reaches of luxury — and a pair of teaser images released by global design chief Gorden Wagener offers a hint of where the tri-star brand is heading.
Wagener focuses on two variants of the familiar Mercedes SL roadster which just went through a complete makeover for 2022. But the images are meant to show what happens when they target even more exclusive niches wearing both the Maybach and new Mythos badges.
As one of Wagener’s caption notes, the Mythos name is meant for “highly-exclusive collectible cars from Mercedes-Benz.”
Maybach SL
The focus on the SL is by no means a random choice. The roadster has traditionally been a symbol of everything Mercedes stands for in terms of design, performance, luxury and exclusivity. But, it appears, the automaker is now convinced it can take things to an even higher level.
The first of the two images offers a glimpse of an SL-based Maybach. It brings back the classic, free-standing tri-star hood ornament of decades past, rather than the flush emblem used today. But it also adds repeating Maybach logos that appear to be laser-etched into the roadster’s dark gray hood. The name, Maybach, is itself etched into a revised version of the new SL’s bright chrome grille.
In the caption, Wagener writes the image is a “glimpse of the Concept Mercedes-Maybach SL — revealing more about future opportunities of our company’s most exclusive brand. For customers who desire for a sophisticated luxury driving and design experience.”
Entry, Core and Top-End Luxury
Until recently, a Maybach version of the SL would have seemed like the ultimate extreme. The name itself was based on a German premium luxury brand from early in the 20th Century.
It was briefly revised as a standalone marque meant to compete with the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, but limited sales led to its demise. Maybach was yet again revived as a premium trim, the ultra-luxury alternative to high-performance AMG.
Now, however, Mercedes wants to go even further upmarket, establishing three distinct product categories: Entry Luxury, Core Luxury, and Top-End Luxury. And that’s where Mythos comes in, company officials explaining earlier this month that it will focus on “super limited, highly desirable vehicles” a step above Maybach.
Pushing to extremes
In announcing the new Mythos marque, Mercedes signaled it will debut with an SL variant specifically meant for “dedicated enthusiasts and collectors of Mercedes-Benz.”
And now, we get a glimpse of what that means. Where the Maybach teaser suggests most of the exterior changes will be cosmetic, the SL Mythos will bring more significant revisions to the roadster’s design.
The teaser shows a profile that, among other things, introduces a new flying buttress directly behind the SL’s front seats. That would seem to return the roadster to a two-seat layout, unlike the more mainstream version that, for 2022, has adopted a 2+2 layout.
The monochromatic image also suggests that the Mythos SL will be finished in a rich silver hue harkening back to the brand’s legendary pre-War “Silver Arrow” race cars.
What’s next?
What’s uncertain is whether these teaser images represent actual production plans or are just meant to provide a glimpse of where Mercedes wants to take the Maybach and Mythos sub-brands going forward.
At the very least, it seems likely that the automaker will give us a better look at the two designs in the months ahead.
