Maybach Exelero History

The Maybach Exelero was a single one-off vehicle commissioned by Fulda (a Goodyear subsidiary) to test its new Carat Exelero high-performance tyre range — just as Fulda had previously commissioned a special Maybach-based test car in 1938. Designed by students from Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences and built by coachbuilder Stola, it was unveiled at the Tempodrom in Berlin in May 2005.

Built on the Maybach 57's platform, the Exelero used a twin-turbocharged V12 producing 700 PS (690 hp) and 1,020 Nm — the most powerful engine yet fitted to any Maybach. Its styling drew deliberately on the pre-war SW38. On 1 May 2005, racing driver Klaus Ludwig drove the Exelero to 351.45 km/h at the Nardò Ring, setting a speed record for limousine-class cars on series-production tyres.

The Exelero was not a production model. It was a single unit; a valuation of approximately $8 million was cited in later years, making it among the most expensive individual car commissions of the 2000s.