Mercedes steps up luxury game with bespoke Maybach options

Each steering wheel is hand-stitched and takes four to eight hours to complete. Less time is required for a leather-only wheel and more when leather is combined with wood or Piano Black. Annually, they use enough thread to cover the distance from Earth to the Moon and back (768,000 km). Sheets of leather are inspected meticulously for even the smallest flaws and imperfections. Seats can be personalised in colour and pattern and tailored to fit the body shape.

All of this takes place at the Manufaktur factory in Sindelfingen, Germany. This facility is a division of Mercedes-Benz focused on personalising luxury models from Mercedes, Maybach, AMG, and the G-Class. Within an area of approximately 1,200 square metres, 200 artisans work diligently. During the opening of the Manufaktur Studio, I had the opportunity to observe their work up close.

It is no secret that luxury car brands generate significant profits by fulfilling customers' desires to make their cars unique. This might involve an unusual paint colour, a unique wheel pattern, or, most commonly, customised interior configurations. As a result, Mercedes-Benz is expanding its Manufaktur division with additional production techniques and personalisation options.

Brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce have already adopted this business model. "Bespoke personalisation brings us significant profits, even though the basic version already provides a reasonable margin. It's just that no one orders the basic version," said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös.

There are stories of customers ordering paint to match a favourite lipstick or pearls from a family collection. Nothing stops clients from having decorative elements made from salmon leather on the dashboard if they are fish breeders. Or by having a constellated zodiac sign illuminated on the headliner above each seat for every child or spouse.

Mercedes-Benz is following this path, although brand representatives prefer to speak of a return to their roots rather than imitating others. They recall that the first car in Mercedes history was specially ordered by Austrian businessman and diplomat Emil Jellinek. It was intended to be a lightweight automobile capable of winning a race in Nice and surpassing French machines. Wilhelm Maybach designed this car with the condition that it be named after Jellinek's daughter, Mercedes.

In 2025, the Maybach S-Class configurator will feature up to 50 new paint colours, making over 80 to choose from. Despite the increasing number of people wishing to stand out on the road, the black S-Class will remain a common sight.

The Manufaktur Studio in Sindelfingen also uses matrix assembly line technology. Vehicles are transported on autonomous trolleys from station to station, where customised interior elements are manually assembled. The PixelPaint system, a "printer" for car bodies, allows the bonnet to be decorated with a mosaic of Maybach emblems. Additional designs will be offered in the future.

Good lighting, cameras, and artificial intelligence help to detect even the smallest flaws in leather sheets intended for upholstery. Marks from insect bites, scars, or burns result in disqualification. However, the raw material is not wasted: defective parts are cut out and used to produce gadgets and small leather accessories.

Leather can cover the steering wheel, dashboard, seats, door sides, and headliner. Individual elements are cut by machines using either a conventional blade or high-pressure water; the latter method offers greater precision. The leather is then applied to structural elements by hand.

Luxury Maybach and Mercedes models' distinctive features are the leather pillows on the rear captain's seats. The sewing is done inside out, with a small opening left for inserting filler once turned right side out. The pillow is then hand-sewn to ensure the stitching is invisible.

Personalisation options at Manufaktur may include embroidering or hot-stamping emblems or headrest patterns. Customers can choose from a catalogue of ready-made designs or custom options, such as a signature or family coat of arms.

The Maybach S 680 starts at approximately £222,000. An embroidered brand logo on headrests and floor mats costs about £1,380. A leather package covering Nappa leather seats, headliner, and dashboard, including leather pillows, exceeds £8,500.

Painting the body in a Manufaktur colour costs roughly £1,340 to £6,320. The two-tone painting of the Maybach S680 costs nearly £16,800. In 2025, 50 new colours will be added to the palette. There is no extra charge for one of several Manufaktur steering wheels, such as those finished in leather and wood.

The most expensive Mercedes-Maybach is the special edition S680 - Virgil Abloh, named after the late designer. This limited edition of 150 units found its way to DJ Khaled and Alicia Keys, among others. The price? Nearly £432,000.

However, the new Manufaktur Studio is not solely about offering a larger range of colours and accessories. Mercedes aims to create the "ambience" of buying a luxury car. Following the example of Rolls-Royce and Bentley provides an experience that includes factory visits, allowing customers to observe how their cars are made. As representatives of the Manufaktur Studio claim, customers with specific desires are willing to wait.