Mercedes is reviving Maybach as a sub-brand, much like its AMG performance unit, to regain a foothold among the ultra-rich.

The Maybach branding is now no longer an entire separate brand, but rather just a model of a Mercedes-Benz S600,

Unveiled simultaneously in LA and Guangzhou, China, the car stretches 5.4 meters from nose to tail. It is seriously long. But then it needs to be because the Maybach is all about being driven, not about driving.

Mercedes expects every Maybach it sells to be chauffeur-driven and everything that makes this car special, exclusive and appealing is focused on the rear-seat occupants.

It might have a 6-liter bi-turbo V12 engine under its hood, but none of that roar will penetrate the cabin.

Mercedes claims that for rear-seat passengers, the car is the quietest in the world. And that is crucial!

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The average owner will be using the car as a place to conduct on-the-fly meetings, get some work done and get some rest. Productivity is enhanced by foldaway tables and rear-passenger multimedia screens and a wi-fi hotspot.

Communication is simplified thanks to special voice amplification technology so that you’ll never need to raise your voice in order to be heard, whether instructing the driver or chatting to a fellow passenger.

Adding to the sense of calm and comfort are rear seats that wouldn’t look out of place in Business Class on a long-haul flight.

They don’t just recline, they do so with calf support and each element of the seat can be adjusted individually.

When it’s time to catch up on sleep, the front passenger seat can be moved forward and folded up so that the rear seat can recline almost flat.

But that’s just the start. The Maybach has its own specially created interior perfume for fragrancing the cabin and the bar carries two silver-plated handcrafted champagne flutes.

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The interior is awash with leather and wood as standard but just like a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley can be personalized to suit individual tastes.

The Maybach will go on sale in February and Mercedes expects most models to be ordered by US and Chinese clients.