2023 Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture Special Edition Review

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class rests at the very top of the brand’s lineup with plenty of personalization options. However, buyers of ultra-luxury vehicles can never have enough bespoke features, like the ones exhibited on the highly customized Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture Concept that will evolve into a limited production model in 2023.
 

For those not familiar with the fashion industry, haute couture is a French term used to describe high-end fashion design where everything is handmade from fine materials. As such, the Maybach S-Class received an overhaul in terms of colors and trimmings, with what Mercedes describes as an “unusual, fashion-inspired” combination. The exterior sports a two-tone paint with dark nautical blue for the upper part of the body and the Maybach alloy wheels, and shimmering rose for the rest of the vehicle highlighted by chrome accents.
 
Inside is where all of the fashion-related fun begins. The upholstery combines Nappa leather in crystal white and dark nautical blue with a pretty wild-looking bouclé fabric in blue, beige, rose gold and gold hues that covers large portions of the cabin. The dashboard has a lacquered finish with rose gold lines, matching the accents on the center console. There is a star pattern printed on the leather-upholstered instrument panel, doors, headrests and headliner. Finally, animal-free white faux fur covers the door pockets, inlay mats and scatter cushions, meaning passengers better make sure their shoes are clean before entering the car.
 

The bespoke nature of the special edition is also present in the digital interface of the MBUX infotainment. The graphics are updated in order to “visualize the catwalk atmosphere” with rose gold accents all over the menus and around the always-visible home button on the central touchscreen. The profile selection menu has a fresh magnolia blossom and sparkling particles, and the home screen features sparkling glitter clouds which are not present in the regular Maybach models, while each user can create their own Haute Voiture profile picture by selecting between twelve nicely dressed avatars.
 
Matching Bags
Last but not least, a luxurious model like this couldn’t be missing some bespoke fashion items. A barrel bag coming in different sizes and two complete handmade outfits were created from the same materials used in the interior of the S-Class. Besides minimizing leftover pieces, this means that the passengers of the Haute Voiture can be dressed accordingly to their fancy vehicle, as long as they fit inside the following pieces – a delicate lace dress, a tailored jacket, and a short A-line skirt, or a modern mock neck top with a long skirt.
 

The model might be presented in concept form here but it is close to production-ready status. Mercedes says it will launch the car into the market in early 2023 as a strictly limited edition, without specifying pricing, production numbers or availability. They also didn’t talk about the powertrain type but we guess that the S680’s V12 is a necessity given that this model competes with nothing short of the bespoke variants of the recently facelifted Rolls-Royce Phantom.
 
The Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture Concept was presented during The Art Of Creating Desire exhibition in Cote d’Azur alongside the Project Maybach x Virgil Abloh Concept and the similarly-specced Mercedes-Maybach S680 By Virgil Abloh which is limited to 150 examples.