2004 Maybach 57 on 2040-cars

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Jay Z and Kanye West's gutted Maybach expected to fetch $100,000 [w/video]

The memory of Jay Z and Kanye West laying waste to a $350,000 Maybach for the duo's "Otis" music video continues to bring a smile to our face. We're always fans of the Mad Max treatment on any vehicle, and taking a Sawzall and a cutting torch to a ludicrously expensive luxury barge remains the stuff of our twisted fantasies. If you've been wondering what ever happened to the zombie Maybach, wonder no more. What's left of the 'Bach is officially headed to auction, with the proceeds going to Save The Children, a non-profit charity dedicated to improving the lives of children around the world. In this case, the auction will benefit families in East Africa.
How much will the cannibalized Maybach fetch once the gavel falls? Early estimates say bids could reach as high as $100,000, or less than a third of the vehicle's total value pre-Otisification. Worth it? Well, we certainly won't tell you how to spend your cash, but if you're a fan of hip hop royalty and/or Save The Children, we're inclined to think so. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.

Maybach could become Mercedes-Benz sub-brand

When you're arriving in a twin-turbocharged, twelve-cylinder Maybach limo, there's no reason you should ever have to be late. Except, maybe, to make a fashionable entrance. But up at the corporate level, the entire Maybach brand is being slowed down as critical decisions about its future are being undertaken.
Last week, we reported that a decision on what path Maybach would take going forward would be due at the start of next month, but the latest reports indicate that the timeframe has been extended as further options are being considered.
The previous options under consideration were twofold: either relaunch the brand with production outsourced to Aston Martin - which suddenly finds itself with excess production capacity - or shut it down completely. And those are still two very real options. Word has it that Aston has put together four concept cars for the Daimler brass to consider, all based on the next-generation S-Class platform (and thankfully not the old one).

Maybach lost upwards of $500k on each vehicle sold

Daimler is shuttering Maybach in 2013 after seven years of production. In that time, the company's ultra-ultra-luxury arm managed to sell just 3,000 units, and CAR reports Daimler lost somewhere around $500,000 on each and every one of them.
Even with a ludicrous price tag of over $370,000 for an "entry" Maybach 57, the brand couldn't quite recoup the dizzying $1.33 billion Daimler poured into it since its (re)inception. Rumors ignited over a possible tie up with Aston Martin that would have resulted in a range of new and attractive models, but Daimler has instead decided to snuff out Maybach altogether.
We can hardly blame them.