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Mercedes-Maybach Pullman is the luxury car for the discerning dictator

For decades, Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Maybach cars have been the ride of choice for leaders across the globe, presidents, ambassadors, dictators and despots alike. The Pullman model — a long-wheelbase six-seat variant — has been particularly popular with this select clientele. This week, the German automaker announced the latest version of the car, the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman S650. Essentially, this is a stretched version of the V12-powered Maybach with two rear-facing seats just behind the front row. Mercedes is calling this vis-a-vis seating. There's also a partitioning glass between the front seats and the rear cabin. This is of course to help prevent the chauffeur from learning and spilling any state secrets or plans for plans for secret moon bases. New for this model is a front-facing camera for rear-seat passengers. This allows occupants to watch for any oncoming obstacles, barricades or road blocks. Visually, there's no mistaking the Pullman for another Maybach or really anything else on the road. The car is 21.3-feet long, 4.5-feet longer than the standard Maybach or roughly the size of two and a half Smart Fortwo placed bumper-to-bumper. The requisite 20-inch 10-hole wheels are present and the standard pinstripe Maybach grille has been updated with a slightly new design. The car only comes in S650 trim, meaning it's powered by a 630 horsepower 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12. As expected, the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman isn't cheap. Orders have started, but be prepared to shell out at least $615,000 before adding any custom touches. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Mercedes-Maybach Pullman View 10 Photos Image Credit: Daimler Design/Style Maybach Mercedes-Benz Luxury Special and Limited Editions Sedan mercedes-maybach mercedes-maybach pullman

Daimler chairman agrees with German Greens on reducing emissions

Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche spoke at a Green Party congress in Germany earlier this week and said he agreed with the party's urge to dramatically cut transportation-based greenhouse-gas emissions by expanding plug-in vehicle sales, Reuters says. Zetsche stopped short of backing the Greens' suggestion to ban gas- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2030, though. The man must keep his job, after all. Zetsche did say that reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from the transportation sector was "necessary," and his company has made plans to do just that. Daimler representatives said at the Paris Motor Show earlier this year that Smart and Mercedes-Benz both planned to debut more than 10 electric vehicles within the next decade, and that plug-ins may account for as much as 25 percent of Mercedes-Benz's sales by then. Moreover, Dr. Thomas Weber, Head of Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, said in June that Mercedes could be selling as many as 100,000 EVs a year by the end of the decade. Last month, Mercedes-Benz announced that its EQ electric-SUV concept would go on sale by 2020, and that the Bremen factory that's producing the model will broaden its plug-in vehicle production further. Zetsche's cautious support notwithstanding, the German government appears to be doing its own part to reduce emissions from the country's light-duty vehicles. Earlier this year, Germany enacted a plan that provides as much as 4,000 euros ($4,270) in perks for people who buy new electric vehicles, with German automakers agreeing to foot about half of the estimated $1.4 billion bill. German lawmakers had also floated the idea of a 10-year moratorium on electric-vehicle taxes for cars purchased before 2020. Related Video: News Source: Reuters via Automotive News Europe-sub.req.Image Credit: Ralph Orlowski / Reuters Government/Legal Green Mercedes-Benz smart Electric

Five reasons to love, or hate, the culture of German cars

A few months back, we took a 500-foot view of the culture of American cars, dissecting prides and prejudices on our way to the conclusion that automotive allegiances can be simultaneously embraced and derided. We had so much fun with the narrative that we decided to do it again, this time taking a look at Germany and its world-renowned lineup of automakers, including the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen, among others. Join us below as we discuss the points and counterpoints that make or have made the German auto industry what it is today. And remember, Germany did pretty much invent the automobile, after all... The V12 Engine If America is known for the proliferation of the V8 engine, an argument could be made that Germany owns the V12. Yes, of course, other companies have created V12 engines – Ferrari, Jaguar and Lamborghini immediately come to mind – but the big 12-cylinder powerplants from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, in particular, have proven to be some of the most effortless, luxurious and downright over-built engines the world has ever seen. These days, having 12 cylinders is more a case of wretched excess than ever before, and yet, you can still stroll into your local BMW or Mercedes dealership and get a brand-new 760i, S600 or even an over-the-top G65 AMG, efficiency be damned. Best of all, since the majority of these German powerhouses depreciate as fast as an anchor sinks, nearly any auto enthusiast who dreams of a dozen cylinders can satisfy their carnal desires. Current Star: 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600 View 28 Photos Diesel Engines Remember how we talked about those glorious V12 engines? Well, you can even get one from Audi that runs on diesel. If your compression-ignition fantasies err more on the side of fuel savings, that's no problem, either. Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen have got you covered, with engines starting as small as 800 cubic centimeters (Smart Fortwo). If you want something a little more practical, it's hard to argue with a VW Golf TDI, which will provide plenty of space for you and three of your best friends, plus a fair bit of luggage, all while returning 50-ish miles per gallon. For the purposes of this discussion, we'd rather focus on the asinine levels of torque provided by Germany's high-end diesel engines than the lower-end fuel sippers.