How to go camping for a hair over half a mil

Fancy yourself a connoisseur of the finer things in life? Can you pick the difference between caviar and lumpfish roe without a second thought? Have we got the 4X4 for you. Well not us specifically, we’re 4X4 journos, not manufacturers. The actual manufacturer of the most ridiculous 4X4 possibly ever built is Maybach.

If you’re not familiar with the Maybach brand that’s entirely understandable. They’re the fancy arm of Mercedes. Just like HSV used to take plain-jane Commodores and wind the wick up, Maybach take the top-spec models from Mercedes and slather them in excess. If you’re an oil sheik you may be familiar with the brand. And they’ve recently knocked out a 4X4 version that just might be the kookiest thing we’ve ever seen.

Designed in collaboration with late fashion designer Virgil Abloh, Project Maybach is probably designed to sell expensive clothes rather than be a fair dinkum 4X4, but it’s fun to have a closer look regardless.

“There’s a full-length solar array in the bonnet to keep the batteries juiced up”

The spec sheet reckons it’s fully electric, drive going to the ground through 37in BFGoodrich mud tyres. There’s a full-length solar array in the bonnet to keep the batteries juiced up on the Canning Stock Route. And a trick Exo cage that’ll ensure complete safety even on the gnarliest 4X4 tracks in the high country. Not that you’d go too well on tight tracks in the Maybach. It’s longer than a Ram 3500.

On the inside, that insane overall length actually makes for a pretty useful space. The driver and passenger seats both recline fully, with a clear roof above giving prime stargazing opportunities at night. It probably won’t be too pleasant if you’ve had a big night on the Cognac.

There’s a variety of luggage options stashed around the interior with built-in axes into door frames for some reason. And a lunch box that pops out of the side of the dash. There’s even a built-in compass. For reasons. Although the LED driving lights and roof basket do seem a little more practical.

With the Russian Oligarchs otherwise occupied, there’s probably not too much of a market. But the spec’d down on-road only sedan version is available locally for a cool $570,000.