The 1997 Mercedes MAYBACH Design-Studie, based on the W140, remains an elusive object of fascination, having scarcely made a public appearance over the past 27 years. Fortunately, a recent feature video by Thomas Howarth has revealed some new insights.
As it was built on the W140, the MAYBACH Design-Studie made its debut at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, becoming a significant point of interest for our research. We’ve previously delved into the background of this project in “History: Project DIAMANT, the MAYBACH“, but details about the car itself were scarce. While Japan was a dominant market in the ‘90s, the biennial Tokyo Motor Show, held far from enthusiasts, wasn’t an ideal venue for hands-on inspection. In 1998, the car appeared in Detroit and Geneva, but it no longer receives that kind of attention. Consequently, there are only a few photos in circulation.
Time seemed to stand still for this car, it was soon forgotten after the show, overshadowed by the production MAYBACH that debuted five years later, which introduced some of the car’s more stereotypical features. In several photos and videos, it can be seen parked in a museum storage corridor, covered by a car cover, seemingly to protect the acrylic panels from sun damage. I believe that people never truly had the opportunity to carefully examine the vehicle in a quiet setting until Thomas Howarth from Horsepowr Hunters filmed it in the Classic Center’s hall. Over the past year, Thomas has recorded exclusive videos of various Mercedes-Benz and AMG models, and these are definitely worth watching.
The video starts with a look at the cables beneath the trunk. While this car doesn’t feature the overly futuristic electrical systems seen in the F200, it is nonetheless a massive energy black hole. As a show car, it naturally relied on auxiliary power, much like the W140 show cars did.
The Design-Studie also featured fully transparent glass, allowing attendees to see inside under the lights of the motor show. However, once it left the exhibition, the car resembled a fish tank. The glass appeared rather thin, leading one to wonder if it was simply acrylic intended for display purposes.
The bodywork’s introduction begins with the door handles: one could open the door by pressing the rubber star on the door, a feature without a traditional lock. This rubber star seems to be from the 1994-1997 key fob. Next I took some photos of the same angle on my cars to see the difference between this show car and the W140.
The car also features factory closing assistance. If you treat it as a W140 rather than a concept car built from scratch, this feature won’t seem out of place. There’s no doubt that the door locks were borrowed from the W140. The way the doors were fixed suggests that they tried to modify the door shape, but couldn’t stray too far from the original design to ensure functionality. You can actually see that the W140’s door locks are closer to the inside, as the side panels on the MAYBACH are all-new.
Thomas also introduces the first Japanese element of the car: the 19-inch polished aluminum wheels made by ENKEI. Founded in 1950, this Japanese company is an OEM manufacturer of wheels for mass-production vehicles, specializing in aluminum wheels for sports cars. ENKEI has been an official supplier to the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 team since 1995, which may explain their involvement in this project. These polishing wheels used to be very shiny, now they are a little oxidized. 19 inches is also a size that the W140 can handle and has been used in AMG models.
Tires are Dunlop SP SPORT 9000, sized 295/45 ZR19. The SP SPORT 9000 was also a new product introduced in 1997, designed to offer a balance of wet and dry performance, with an emphasis on hydroplaning resistance and steering response. These are most likely original tires from 1997. Interestingly, in the photo below, which Stola claims was taken in their studio, the ENKEI wheels have Bridgestone tires. But by the time we got to the show they were Dunlops. There are some issues with the timeline in the Stola archives. They claim the car was completed on November 26, 1997, when this photo was taken. However, the 32nd Tokyo Motor Show ended on November 5.
Thomas also noted the jagged reflections on the panels and introduced the fact that the car’s body parts were made from carbon fiber, magnesium alloy, and aluminum, which aligns with previous information we received from Stola and Olivier Boulay, with the exception of whether the hood was fiberglass rather than carbon fiber. Given that this car had endured some rough handling at the motor show and was drivable, it could not have been made from clay. Today, it not only remains intact but still looks as fresh as new.
From an amateur’s perspective, the design looks quite appealing, but I won’t judge it too harshly. What we care about more is the car’s inner workings — specifically, what lies behind this seemingly new face. We’ve previously introduced the AURUS presentation car, which was also built on the W140 platform, and even kept the headlamp position unchanged because of this. In the case of this show car, one can see that the relative placement of various components is much closer to the W140 than any other Mercedes production car at the time. This is due to certain “dead spots” in the design. To turn the W140 into a drivable MAYBACH in just nine months, it was best not to touch anything related to the powertrain. Therefore, the original radiator of the cooling system was retained, and the radiator’s position remained unchanged. The headlights are positioned right next to the radiator frame.
In the end, like the AURUS, the front end is always the most difficult to modify. Changing the position of the headlights and the radiator grille is a delicate task that affects the entire design. Here, a clever solution was found by elongating the front suspension, akin to mounting a radar fairing on the nose of a nose-intake fighter jet. It was a transformation similar to the shift from the North American F-86 Sabre to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. This solution not only allowed for a distinct front end design but also met the goal of extending the vehicle’s body. From the side, this Design-Studie’s front nose seems disconnected from the W140, yet the front still retains some unmistakable ties.
Since the press info humorously compares this car’s length to the current S 600 L (this is a good hint for those who are curious about what this car is), noting a 56 cm increase, let’s calculate where the extensions occurred. They kindly mentioned that the wheelbase was extended by 40 cm, so simple subtraction reveals that the front and rear ends were extended by 16 cm in total.
In comparison to the exclusive exterior design, the interior looks somewhat unsettling. The rear doors of the car appear to be entirely from the W140, albeit slightly extended. However, it isn’t as long as one might think. To avoid the stereotypical features of a production car, the Design-Studie’s length is not the “57” or “62” but rather around “58”, 5.77 meters. I would love to see it compared to the 57, as it looks more than just 5 cm longer, possibly, other parts of the body have changed. The Advance Design team in Tokyo advocated for a single wheelbase with no partition wall. I must say that the Design-Studie makes the two production car wheelbases look awkward, with one being too short and the other too long.
The shape of the dashboard is entirely inherited from the W140, including the mini glove box that’s so deep it can’t even fit the user manual case. Ironically, in the press photos and videos, a laptop is placed there as if it could fit. In the video they only filmed the laptop being pulled out, didn’t film the storage compartment being closed because it couldn’t. To maintain all the functionalities, the dashboard is another area where structural changes were not easily made, though it has been slightly widened here. In fact, as a show car, they could have removed the passenger-side airbag and made that area into a larger storage compartment to better accommodate the laptop, much like the SRS-optional W140 dashboard before September 1992. I can only assume that the MB technicians who assisted with this vehicle had forgotten the products they once created just five years prior.
The heavy cherry wood trim in the center houses the ICS/CNS control panel from the Japanese version, which indeed looks the most stylish among all W140s, reflecting the car’s deep connections with Japan. There is, however, a cover over this control panel, which is always hidden. As for whether this system is functional, I am inclined to say no. By the way, ever notice the red panic button on the key fob? This means it comes from the MY1998 North American version. Therefore, this car has a North American ECU. Stola’s timeline shows the car was fitted with the engine in May 1997, which corresponds to the earliest homologated MY1998 vehicle. If connected to XENTRY, it might even register a W140 VIN.
The most significant difference from the W140 is the absence of the traditional shift lever. The lower part of the center console is adorned with a series of abstract buttons. The hazard light switch seems to be borrowed from VW, while the other oval-shaped switches at least inspired Porsche in designing their key. Forgive me for focusing on aspects more related to the W140, while ignoring the unique interior design of this car. At this moment, you can think of it as a W140 go-kart combined with a castle, where the passenger compartment, especially the area above the waistline, remains remarkably creative.
The outer side of the dashboard does not feature any A/C vents, leaving only the headlight switch. Needless to say, despite the futuristic cruise control stalk, headlight switch, and turn signal stalk, they are simply redesigned in the original fixed positions of the W140. And, as I mentioned, the steering wheel lacks an airbag, so why not make good use of the space left by the passenger airbag?
From the thickness of the door panels and Thomas’ seating position, it appears that the lateral space in the Design-Studie is not noticeably improved over the W140. This is because the additional width occurs on the doors, and the thickened door panels encroach on the space. Based on the position of the door hinges, the widening of the Design-Studie seems to have been achieved by shifting the doors and side panels outward rather than widening the floor from the center. This all circles back to the starting point: this car had to inherit the W140’s front and rear axles, which meant the subframe. Consequently, the cross member could not be moved. Therefore, widening the floor was quite challenging.
The Design-Studie’s lateral space is even smaller than the W140’s due to the thick center console, judging by the glovebox’s placement. Since the ignition lock is physically located away from the steering steering column, the steering wheel may not be locked. The CNS module is mounted at the same angle as the W140, possibly suggesting the evaporator case behind has been completely transplanted, too. However, the front doors are undoubtedly stretched significantly due to the more raked A-pillars.
The photo below taken at Stola in March 1997 partially shows a possible methodology for widening the body: the existing ABC pillars were widened to allow for a thicker fiberglass side panel. To this end, the floor was probably also widened a bit on the outside, but the inside remained the same. This explains why the Design-Studie needed 295 mm wide tires, while the production car had only 275 mm. When the subframe and wheel knuckles cannot be moved, wider tires were needed to allow the outside of the wheels to be flush with the new fenders. The same solution was used for the AURUS presentation car, the Russian used 275 mm tires.
Officially, including the rear view mirrors, the MAYBACH Design-Studie is 6 cm wider than the W140 and 3 cm narrower than the production W240. The Dunlop SP SPORT 9000 tires are 4 cm wider on each side than the widest AMG wheels available for the W140, 255/40 ZR19, which is just about enough to cover the required front wheelbase. The extra space inside is mostly given to the super thick door panels, because the door panel storage compartments that were eliminated on the facelift W140 are back, and they decided to embed the door handles into the extra thickness. This is not taking into account that the glass on this show car should be thinner than the W140 VSG.
The main extension is at the rear doors. Of the 40 cm longer wheelbase, a small part is taken up by the front fenders, and the rest is divided between the front and rear doors. The rear doors are therefore at least 30 cm longer. This corresponds to a possible increase in weight, which the press info does not include. Since it includes various seemingly lighter materials, it is not possible to simply infer whether the car is lighter or heavier than the production W240. But the weight will definitely affect the original powertrain and cooling system of the car.
The storage compartment in the door panel of the pre-facelift W140 was, if not entirely useless, at least not practical. It was narrow and, in promotional videos, a gentlewoman could be seen placing a map into it. I tried to imagine more practical uses, such as housing a rather expensive, super-folding umbrella. At least the storage box made the door panels very expensive, so it was uncontested removed in March 1994. Now, they’ve decided to bring it back include a folding table, which makes sense—though it never made it into the W240. Moving the window switches to a vertical plane doesn’t seem particularly convenient.
The rear seats don’t bear much resemblance to the W140, but there are numerous signs of compromise between ideals and reality. The wine cabinet blocks the original air conditioning duct, and the W140’s ventilation structure doesn’t support vents on the B-pillars, so there’s no rear AC. Apparently, due to insufficient space in the new side panels, the door locks have been moved downward, otherwise they would have hindered entry and exit. The fixed front sunroof is a tricky design, as the rear sunroof inevitably prevents it from moving. To allow the rear seats to recline further, the fuel tank has been moved both rearward and downward, which can be told from the fuel door position.
If not for the trunk lock, you’d hardly recognize any connection to the W140. Thomas didn’t show us how the trunk lid opens and closes, but I suspect the closing assistance feature was discontinued. The W140’s ingenious curved hollow hinge has now been replaced by hydraulic struts, eliminating the pathway for vacuum lines that once ran from the body to the trunk lid. Considering the size of this vehicle, the trunk capacity is surprisingly small. In previous promotional videos, the space was filled with fuse boxes and control units. These issues would only be addressed in the true development of the W240.
Now, for the truly exciting part: Thomas unveiled something we’ve known about but never been able to see. Don’t rush—what’s that? The engine hood is a completely new component made entirely of fiber, but it retains the W140’s lock hook. The location of the hood hinges marks where the original fender once was, and it has now lost its springs, relying on struts for support. Interestingly, as the “Mega Mercedes,” it only has one windshield wiper, seemingly borrowed from the W210 or W202. It appears it can only clean a small section of the windshield. Additionally, there’s no washer nozzle on the hood, but for a show car, the inclusion of functional wipers is already impressive.
Aside from the slightly misaligned ECU module box, all other components below the wipers are the same as in the regular W140. It even features intake vents with active charcoal filters, though they serve no purpose since the hood of the show car is entirely solid. If you look at the insulation at the top, you’ll notice a distinctive pattern that showcases the Italian craftsmanship at its finest. Plastic covers on each have been squeezed under the new fenders due to their shape, giving them a twisted look. Those covers may have been cut, as the hydraulic oil filler cap is now blocked by a carbon fiber equivalent, so this show car may not have rear axle self-leveling, as the V12 W140 should have.
Triangular grilles of unknown purpose have been added to either side of the intake manifold. The material appears to be similar to that of loud speaker cover on W140’s rear plateform, demonstrating a high degree of plasticity. The engine is in mint condition and may be the lowest-mileage M120 on the planet. Aside from some indoor travel and a promotional film shoot on Miami’s Ocean Drive in January 1998, the car is unlikely to have had any other use, likely less than 50 km in total. However, Thomas told that the digital instrument cluster is no longer functioning, so even if the car has an odometer, its mileage is unknown.
Once again, thanks to Thomas for the close-up shot near the overflow coolant pipe. Where did the temperature sensor cap next to the thermostat go? The two visible positions are now sealed—one for temperature display, the other for controlling the auxiliary fan. As a car that’s meant to be functional, it certainly needs these, so it’s unclear why the sender unit was removed or modified. There’s no nameplate on the radiator frame, but the protruding three-pointed star indicates the original radiator. The presence of the condenser can also be confirmed by the raised detection port, suggesting that this car likely has a functioning AC system.
The close-up of the underskirt 1/2, reveals the W140 chassis, including the subframe and exhaust pipes. Unfortunately, the exhaust pipes and floor extensions are not visible, suggesting the transmission and its preceding sections were likely never moved. The rubber cushioning for the jack appears to be located on the inside of the side panels, suggesting the fabric side panels are a shell that fits over the original side panels—the original supporting panels are still inside.
Close-up of the underskirt 2/2, reveals the original welded steel W140 lower control arms, rather than the forged ones from Sonderschutz. The brake discs are barely visible compared to the massive rims, suggesting they likely simply use the W140’s original brake system. This also leads to speculation about the ENKEI rims, as the bolts under the center cap are quite deep, indicating a negative ET value, just like a true Formula 1 ENKEI wheel.
The MAYBACH feature video is 14 minutes long and provides not only an up-close look at the car itself but also a wealth of contextual information. For reasons unknown, this MAYBACH, along with the C112, was brought into the familiar hall for display. This hall, which appeared in the ‘90s C 140 advertisements, seems to function as a service facility. At the time, the C 140 was still a new model, and parking it here was intended to signal its legacy.
Coincidentally, this time an unfamiliar C 140 is parking next to it , which appeared to be a 1996 S 600 Coupe. Though not explicitly stated, the hall is now used as an exhibition space for cars for sale, with listings available for viewing. Yes, after All Time Stars disappeared, they are back as Mercedes-Benz Classic Vehicle Trade. However, the MAYBACH and C112 are not on the list, so they likely won’t be sold.
That’s basically it. We’ve gotten a lot, but clearly not enough. This car remains one of the W140s I’d most like to inspect in person, that kind motivation might not be welcomed. Let’s hope the plexiglass panels on the sides of the body stay put; it’s been almost 28 years, and it’s truly an engineering marvel. Finally, here are the remaining Design-Studie photos currently in the Mercedes-Benz archive, most of which were taken in Miami.
