When discussing matters such as drifting or cone slalom-tackling, a Maybach is probably the last car that comes to mind. This is precisely the reason for which seeing F1 development racer Susie Wolf bashing a 57S way past the limit made our day. Naturally, we wanted to share this with you.
The clip below, which was shot back in 2011, shows Susie performing some precision driving manoeuvres in the Maybach 57S, not before spoiling herself in the rear seat. Of course, the racing driver couldn’t resist the temptation to pul la few stunts, so she soon started drifting the behemoth.
This is actually a captivating feat for us, as we see Susie’s driving skills overcoming the car’s will - this Maybach is the kind of car that doesn’t want to let go. Once you do convince it to renounce its grip, it will become angry, willing to be left alone to spin. Well, not on Susie’s watch...
In case you were curious, the 57S is the smaller of the two models Maybach used to offer before Mercedes-Benz pulled the plug on the brand. And yes, that designation stands for the vehicle’s length, 5.7 meters (224.4 inches).
Both Susie and Maybach have moved on
Some of you may know the driver as Susie Stoddart, but that was before she married Toto Wolff in October 2011 - her husband is an Austrian investor and racing driver, who is currently the Executive Director of Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, as well as an Williams F1 shareholder.
Susie is an an F1 development driver for Williams and on her way to becoming the first female competitor in the Race of Champions. The 2014 edition of ROC is set to take place on the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados on December 13-14 and we can’t wait to see the Brit in action.
“I have a full-time job at Williams, which is great, but nothing can replace the adrenaline of racing and I can?t wait to get that back. So I?m proud to have been chosen to take part in the Race Of Champions and I'm looking forward to racing against some of the top-rated drivers in the world,” Susie said earlier this month.
As for Maybach, the rumor mill sees Mercedes (re-)reviving the brand it mistreated for about a decade - the 57S and 62S were basically pumped-up S-Class models, which didn’t help too much with the segment. Mercedes is expected to spread its line-up among three sub-brands. Mercedes-Benz will handle the volume models, Mercedes-AMG will take care of the spice, while Mercedes-Maybach will make everything nice.
Truth be told, we’re more than eager to see if Mercedes-Benz is prepared to make a proper comeback for the precious badge.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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