What does Oppo think of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Maybach?

"MegaSuper" (megasuper)
06/18/2015 at 20:30 • Filed to: None

I’ve never really known or cared if the word “Exotic” referred to just everything rare, or everything rare + performance. I’ve seen far more Ferraris/Lamborghinis in my life than Bentleys/Rolls-Royces/Maybachs, so to me they’re definitely interesting and sort of don’t get mentioned when talking about very high-level cars.

This class of car has always interested me in that the interiors are generally much nicer than the exteriors, whereas I feel most cars are the opposite. I’m probably way in the minority on this one, but I prefer it that way; you spend more time IN your car than staring at it, right?

So overall, would you jump at the chance to drive one? Or do you feel these are more cars for passengers than drivers?

What do you like and dislike from each brand?

I never liked the Continental GT, but it’s somehow grown on me over the years. I think it has to do with them making the outer lights smaller, like on the Mulsanne. Makes the car look less blobby-looking. I think it really depends on what colour you get it in. Silver is just so boring and overdone…the light blues are strangely nice, as is British Racing Green. A lot of the leatherwork and lighting is nicely-done, but a letdown imo (don’t know if current models are like this, this was from a while ago) is that a lot of the switchgear is shared with lesser VW products. AFAIK the Satnav is the same as the Touareg, haha. Just makes it feel less special, which a car of this calibre should.

I think the Speed version is pointless, but I love the new GT3-R. Just bonkers.

The Mulsanne looks horrible in photos but is quite nice in person. The back is surprisingly well-sculpted.

Onto Rolls-Royce, I have such admiration for the craftsmanship (The floormats are nicer than the carpets in some houses, no joke), but their cars are just so physically enormous. I’m not really sure what the ideal “Rolls-Royce Land” is; I’ve read some reviews that suggest just driving along British country lanes, which you’d think is the ideal Rolls-Royve habitat, can be a bit difficult due to the width. At the same time though, I can’t imagine a rich businessperson driving one of these from, say, Atlanta to Montana. So I just don’t know haha. Maybe for the Los Angeles crowd. Probably a nice place to be when you’re stuck in traffic.

So on that note, I think the Wraith is a step in the right direction. Sort of like a fastback. From the side it almost looks like it has two different rooflines or beltlines, so the two-tone paint actually looks good.

I don’t see the point to the Ghost, respectfully. I guess it’s just a smaller Phantom…? That’s a bit like saying “Yeah Mexico City is a small town…compared to Tokyo”, so I’m not really sure what it can do better than the Phantom or Wraith.

Overall though, I’m not really sure what to make of the styling cues of Rolls-Royces. Is it classy? Is it vulgar? I don’t know. I think I’d be more scared of having one vandalized/keyed than anything else, even a bright red Ferrari or lime green McLaren or something.

Now for Maybach, which I think is the real wild card. I understand that Mercedes had to do what they had to do in order to revitalize the same, but I’m probably one of only a small handful who though that the “old” Maybachs (57 and 62) were actually rather cool. The rear brake lights were horrible, don’t get me wrong, but I found the front nice, and of course the interior. I just loved how subtle it was…you’d be walking in some business district, and think, “What is that? Some old Chrysler…? OHHH! A Maybach!” So maybe that right there is why it didn’t do well, haha. I liked it though, a real sleeper. I also really enjoy obscure brands, so it’s pretty interesting in modern times to see a brand resurrected and then sort-of kind-of shut down in such a short timeframe. Also, twin-turbo V12 is just so delightfully absurd.

I read that the “Maybach” trim may be extended to other vehicles, like how AMG works. (The article suggested a Maybach GL-Class would be next.) I can’t wait to see that, haha. I guess it makes sense though, with the Urus/Bentayga/RR SUV coming eventually. (Makes me realise though just how much the world is going SUV/crossover/lifted luxury things again! It’s like the 90s all over again!)

DISCUSSION (15)

Alfalfa Romeo > MegaSuper
06/18/2015 at 20:37

I love the older models of all 3, but I don’t really care much for the newer incarnations of any except Bentley a little.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > MegaSuper
06/18/2015 at 20:43

I’d love a Silver Shadow II :)

Kinja'd!!!

pip bip - choose Corrour > MegaSuper
06/18/2015 at 20:45

so i’m not the only person who liked the earlier Maybach 57.

\0/

Wobbles the Mind > MegaSuper
06/18/2015 at 20:53

They are all unique definitely. I think the hope is Mercedes will buy Aston Martin by 2020 so that end up with Aston (MB), Bentley (Audi/Porsche), and Rolls Royce (BMW) becoming extremely competitive with one another and beginning an ultra-luxury war. Maybach is a trim and honestly AMG is stronger. Shouldn’t the S65 Coupe be a Maybach sense it competes directly with the Continental and Wraith?

Bentley is in a great position to make a two seater and go right after the Vantage and DB9/11. Aston can make a full market Lagonda and go against the Ghost and Flying Spur, maybe Mulsane and Phantom. Rolls is stuck.

So the brands are cool, but we can’t relate. The K900 is to a Phantom what the BRZ is to a 458 Speciale. Difference is no one has a lifestyle for rear comfort compared to driver engagement. Hence why we respect them but they are all on a different spectrum. Also why they can do their own thing, like Pagani and Koenigsegg.

El Rivinado > MegaSuper
06/18/2015 at 21:12

I like some of Bentley’s older efforts, the 8-Litre, the Turbo R, the Continental R. But their new stuff is just, gross. With their massive baleen whale grills and the bug eyes, they just ruin what could’ve been attractive shapes, and the last one I liked, the Arnage, is no longer available. So Bentley just is “meh”

I like Rolls Royce, I don’t care for their older stuff, the only one that comes to mind is the Silver Spur, but the Phantom is the best car they’ve ever made and it represents everything they aspire to be. Quiet, comfortable, spacious, massive, larger than life, that car is very much in the Rolls Royce spirit as well as evoking pleasant memories of the old American Land Barges from the 60s and 70s. I don’t understand the ghost and I think it looks odd, and while I’m not a big fan of the Wraith, I at least understand what it tries to do.

I hate Maybachs, they’re just stretched Mercedes Benz with uglier exteriors, higher price tags, and skin-crawlingly icky interiors that just make me uncomfortable to look at. Maybachs are the ultimate douchebag mobile, and I just hate them with a passion

MegaSuper > pip bip - choose Corrour
06/18/2015 at 21:13

It’s stunning how fast they’ve depreciated. One of the more-easily attainable dream cars out there for sure.

MegaSuper > Wobbles the Mind
06/18/2015 at 21:14

Woah, this just got 100x more fascinating. That would be incredible, with each German marque having a British luxury one in their stable.

I was going to mention that the Rapide seemed to go after this segment, but didn’t do so well…every review seems to mention that the interior/ergonomics/etc is an afterthought. Apparently the windshield is so raked that it’s difficult to even see traffic lights.

pip bip - choose Corrour > MegaSuper
06/18/2015 at 21:20

not so much here in Oz tho , very few imported (less than 20 in total) plus they still want big bucks for them. i saw one for sale a while ago and it was still around the $250k mark.

Wobbles the Mind > MegaSuper
06/18/2015 at 21:20

I’ll blow your mind more. Consider Audi has Lambo. Pagani already uses AMG so Mercedes has the same opportunity to merge with them as Aston. If BMW merged with FCA we could have an all Italian trio in Ferrari-Pagani-Lamborghini. I’m a dreamer though...

AM > MegaSuper
06/18/2015 at 21:27

Bentley: I think the Mulsanne is absolutely beautiful, imo way better looking than the phantom. It manages to look old yet modern at the same time which I really admire and that interior is flawless. The Continental is nice but it’s only good for cruising on the highway I find. It’s big and doesn’t handle very well and it’s not that fast. The Flying Spur is my other favourite from Bentley, it’s subtle yet elegant. The “speed” versions are rather pointless as well since getting up to highway speeds takes like 3 ½ days. I do love the Mulliner catalogue though, so many bespoke options to choose from.

Rolls-Royce: I personally don’t like the Phantom at all. It’s too big and too in-your-face for me. I also find it rather blocky which doesn’t look good imho. The Ghost is miles better being slightly smaller, less blocky and looks like something you would actually drive rather than something you’d be chauffeured in. The Wraith is beautiful and a wonderful attempt at a luxury coupe from RR. Like the Bentley Continental, it’s very large and not so maneuverable but it does have lots of torque which makes it somewhat quick.

Maybach: I liked the 57 and 62, they generally looked nice, very subtle and unnoticeable though. The rear end was rather ugly but the rest was alright. The interior design/quality was brilliant, one of the best ones I’ve seen. However, the cars were monsters that made school buses look small and unless you have a professional limo driver, there’s no way you’d want to buy one. I find they were made too subtle because they got axed for poor sales. There was a Brabus-tuned Maybach 57 before as well which made the car have 0-60 capabilities of 4.9 seconds, damn impressive for a car that size. As for the new Mercedes-Maybach S600, I think it’s an over glorified S-Class and I don’t see the point in it. Sure it’s nice, but it looks the exact same as the regular S-class so I’d rather just save some money and get the S600 LWB; it's basically the same car just a little smaller and not quite as luxurious inside.

Rico > MegaSuper
06/18/2015 at 21:50

Without getting too wordy I look at it this way.

Maybach - Really meant to be driven in, the newest one from Mercedes especially. The 57 would possibly be the only one worth “driving”.

Rolls Royce - Mostly meant to be driven in, the Wraith as you say is an exception.

Bentley - Definitely has the most cars worth driving. They’re luxurious and their go fast models go really, really fast. 10/10 would drive.

When I fantasize about being extremely wealthy in the cars I would want to drive (if I had a stable of 5 or 6 cars) none of the cars above would be in my garage just too many better options for an enthusiast. Maybe I’d get a Rolls to be driven in but I doubt I’d ever be so pompous.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > MegaSuper
06/18/2015 at 21:52

Bentleys suffer from an image problem - the Continental GT was designed to be a technically advanced and very fast GT car but because it was primarily bought by Premiership footballers and superstars with questionable ethics, its always been viewed as a vulgar car since then. Bentley’s original image was of the sporty Rolls Royce - the original 4 ½ Litre was christened the world’s fastest lorry. Now though, despite considerable progress with cars such as the Mulsanne and Flying Spur, the Continental GT has never really shaken off the vulgar image it once had. It also doesn’t help that the design hasn’t really changed. And now that the new Bentayga is coming along, I’m pretty sure the vulgar image that Bentley has accumulated is here to stay.

Mind you, Rolls Royce had a vulgar image too. The Silver Shadow was one of Rolls Royce’s most popular models ever, primarily because back then, the company was struggling and needed to sell as many cars as possible. They hit it on the nail with the Silver Shadow and it sold so quickly that Rolls Royce couldn’t believe their company fortunes. However, in the past, Rolls Royces went to respectable people. The Silver Shadow introduced Rolls Royce into a seedier world, with buyers such as oil barons and drug lords proudly displaying their collections. Arguably, America(!) could also be blamed for the Silver Shadow’s fall from grace, because dirt cheap second hand examples in the late 80s-90s sold for double their price in the US because everyone still wanted a piece of that British luxury. For a while, the Silver Shadow tainted Rolls Royce’s image. Nowadays, I love the new Rolls Royce. BMW has done an amazing job into making a truly respectable car with tons of presence, primarily because it’s just so huge. And the funny thing is, despite its huge size and presence on the outside, the interior is surprisingly simple and austere. All the gizmos and gadgets are hidden away under panels, leaving a basic, if extremely high quality interior. And to this day, Rolls Royce remains one of the world’s most recognisable vehicles, with a corporate grille as iconic as its parent company BMW. And as an extra tidbit, Hong Kong is a city with the world’s highest concentrations of Rolls Royces, I should know, I live there.

And Maybach? Not many people know Maybach. Well yes, they came to know it through celebrities and music videos but because it was so ludicrously expensive that nobody saw reason to buy it over a much cheaper S-Class. Mind you, as the years passed and the S-Class got updated, the Maybach didn’t. The same car lasted from 2002 to 2013, a period in which the S-Class got a significant update. The Maybach may have been the most luxurious car in the world, but because it was so expensive and was continually targeted at the ultra rich meant they never sold in the success of Rolls Royce or Bentley, both of which had richer histories and heritage. Maybach is funny because it should have succeeded, but a combination of factors such as unknown heritage, dated styling, limited target audience, and the new S-Class, Bentley and a certain Rolls Royce Phantom rendered it limited despite its astonishing luxury. And the vulgar image I keep on going about? Remember the Maybach that got chopped up in that “Otis” music video. It was predicted to make $100,000 at auction, far less than the original selling price because obviously, being half-assedly sliced and welded together again reduces the cost significantly. But in the end, it only sold for $60,000. Even with the big money and popularity of the hiphop industry, the Maybach still refused to sell.

hike > MegaSuper
06/18/2015 at 23:21

The Rapide is a wonderful piece of shit. It’s a fun drive, but actually trying to own and and use it every day is just not a good idea. It’s cramped, poor sight lines, the worst infotainment system I’ve ever seen. Anyways, this would be a neat thought. Aston could really use some guidance and Mercedes would be the perfect company to offer that. They’re just nutty enough to not ruin the Aston soul, but sensitive enough to build a decent car.

hike > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
06/18/2015 at 23:23

I think Maybach has a ton of potential because of the image that doesn’t exist. Problem is, Maybach is always goiong to just look like another Mercedes. Though surprisingly, people really do notice the new Maybachs are more than just normal Benz’s.

wafflesnfalafel > Wobbles the Mind
06/18/2015 at 23:51

It’s the Axis powers all over again! (Honestly, that’s a very interesting thought - and certainly quite possible.)