Maybach Unveils Fulda-Commissioned 350 KM/H+ Exelero Coupe

Cooperation between German Luxury Car Brand and Tire Company Goes Back Sixty-Six Years

Advertisements and specialty vehicles go hand in hand, particularly in the automotive world. Countless companies use

Fulda Reifenwerk, the German subsidiary of the Goodyear tire company, has just unvieled a one-off 700-horsepower Maybach Exelero Coupe. (Photo: Fulda Reifenwerk)

specialty vehicles to portray new products, which have resulted in some of the most glamorous and far-out cars on earth. Fulda Reifenwerk, the German subsidiary of the Goodyear tire company, may have just topped the world's best with a one-off 700-horsepower Maybach Exelero Coupe, specifically designed to draw attention to its new Exelero, super-wide high-performance tire.

Of all the different carmakers Fulda could have worked with, it chose Germany's ultimate luxury brand Maybach. The connection between the two firms dates back to the 1930s, when the duo challenged Auto Union (one of the firms that joined together to form Audi) and Mercedes-Benz for a crack at breaking the 200 km/h barrier on Germany's autobahns. In 1938, Fulda commissioned the Maybach SW 38, a streamlined two-door coupe based off the

The Exelero was built as a high-speed machine, capable of speeds above 350 km/h (218 mph). (Photo: Fulda Reifenwerk)

Zeppelin chassis to perform high-speed tests for its tires. Powered by a 140-horsepower 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine, the SW 38 was capable of surpassing 200 km/h (124 mph), pushing the performance envelope (back then, at least).

In 2005, separated by more than sixty-six years, the Maybach and Fulda team are back together, thanks to the reincarnation of the long-dormant brand name by DaimlerChrysler AG. Much like the SW 38, the Exelero was built as a high-speed machine, although this time Fulda commissioned the vehicle to achieve speeds of above 350 km/h (218 mph)!