Maybach Coupe by Xenatech - BBC TopGear

Difficult one this. The Maybach 57S leans towards the tacky, favoured by gentlemen who carry diamond-encrusted canes and wear slightly baggy trousers. But this, well, this might be slightly better...

German engineering firm Xenatech (a name surely reserved for the next Terminator film?) has decided to turn bile into smile and make the Maybach a competitor for the Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe.

Using a complicated shaping process called ‘de-disgustification', Xenatech has taken what originally resembled metal-vomited-onto-a-platter to produce 100 two-door coupes. It also comes in other colours, helpfully.

Xenatech - reportedly with help from Daimler - chopped the roof of the Maybach 57S, widened the track and moved the B and C pillars to accommodate the doors. Power comes courtesy of Mercedes' 6-litre twin turbo V12 churning out a mighty 612bhp, enough to propel the coupe from 0-62mph in around five seconds.

Ah yes, you're wondering, how many novelty rap CDs would I have to record to afford one of these fine items? Quite a few, considering it costs just over £550,000.

Whaddya think?

Vijay Pattni