BENTLEY WOOING MAYBACH OWNERS

Bentley is apparently doing its utmost to woo Maybach clients. Remember Maybach? It’s a car brand owned by Daimler AG, which also owns Mercedes-Benz. Last year the company decided to kill Maybach, and will instead create more high-end, expensive S-Class models to keep Maybach customers happy. Word is, they currently aren’t already, no thanks to being left in the lurch after paying top dollar to join an exclusive club.

Primed for the taking then? It would seem so. Having sold just over 7 000 cars in 2011, Bentley is well positioned to take advantage of the fallout and is taking steps towards that already. A report by Reuters says letters have been sent to these clients offering them test drives and other Bentley experiences. That’s like a door-to-door campaign in the high-end market!

Although one never knows for sure since rappers regularly hire expensive cars just for show, the Maybach has previously been linked to Kanye West, Jay-Z, Birdman and Rick Ross among others. Gayton McKenzie, co-owner of the ZAR Empire, once said, after crashing his R2 million Audi R8 Spyder, that his next car could be a Maybach.

There are two Bentleys currently that could possibly replace the two Maybach models, 57 and 62. One is the Mulsanne, the flagship Bentley. The other is a Flying Spur. Rolls-Royce of course, also waiting in the wings but is said to be uninterested in pursuing the same aggressive route being taken by its fellow German-owned British brand.