by Gabrielle DeSantis

Fast and Furious may offer plenty of vehicular eye candy, but it’s not the only film franchise with iconic autos. And when it comes to car celebrities, few can rival the star power of the Batmobile. However, while Batman’s had several signature sleds throughout the years, Bruce Wayne needs some wheels, too. And it appears that the upcoming The Flash movie will bring back a beloved Bruce with a city car to match. Hence why Michael Keaton was recently spotted behind the wheel of the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet Concept.

The 2017 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet Concept showed off the sub-brand’s new look with electric style

Maybach’s recent history has been a bit rocky, to say the least. Although today’s Mercedes-Maybach models offer appreciable luxury and performance, that wasn’t the case a few years ago.

Mercedes’ initial attempts to resurrect Maybach “as a stand-alone Rolls-Royce and Bentley competitor” were rather unsuccessful, Car and Driver explains. But in 2016, the German automaker tried again, relaunching Maybach as a sub-brand like AMG. That relaunch was capped off by the 2016 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Concept, a sleek electric coupe. And the next year, it was followed up by a convertible, the 2017 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet Concept.

Like the coupe, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet is an EV with an underbody-mounted battery pack and four electric motors, The Drive explains. However, while the 2016 concept has 738 hp, the 2017 one has 750 hp. That’s good for a claimed 0-60 mph time of under four seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. Plus, Mercedes claims the Vision 6 Cabriolet has a 200-mile driving range.

The electric powertrain, though, arguably plays second fiddle to the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet Concept’s main feature. Or rather, its main features: the interior and exterior design.

This roadster is almost 20’ long even though it’s only a two-seater. There’s rose gold on the 24” wheels’ center caps and woven into the fabric top, MotorTrend says. The interior is covered in Nappa leather, aluminum, fiber-optic lighting, and open-pore wood, and features rose-gold trim pieces. Plus, there’s no infotainment screen; instead, it’s a strip that rings the cabin.

Why is Michael Keaton driving the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet?

Although many concept cars are static displays, the 2017 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet isn’t one of them. Though it rarely makes on-road appearances, it’s a fully-functioning EV, Motor1 notes. And Michael Keaton indirectly confirmed that recently.

Although some of his most recent superhero work was for Marvel, Michael Keaton is no stranger to Gotham. He played Batman in 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns, and he’s set to reprise the role in the upcoming The Flash movie. And not as a ‘new’ Batman, but the same one he originally played, The Drive explains.

As of this writing, it’s unknown if Michael Keaton’s original Batmobile will make an appearance in the movie. But based on the on-set photos shown above, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet Concept will, with Keaton behind the wheel. Likely, the convertible will star as Bruce Wayne’s status-symbol car, like how Christian Bale’s Wayne drove a Lamborghini.

When will we get to see the car on the silver screen? And could there be a production version?

The Flash is set to premiere in theaters on November 4, 2022. So, if you want to see Michael Keaton drive the stylish electric convertible, mark your calendars.

Given that automakers often use movies as product-placement opportunities, does this mean we’ll see a road-going version of the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6? It’s not impossible, MT muses, but not likely, either. It’s worth noting that the first Avengers movie had Robert Downey Jr. drive a convertible Acura NSX. And roughly a decade later, such a car doesn’t exist.

Nevertheless, seeing this Maybach EV prowl through Gotham might be worth the price of a ticket.

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by Gabrielle DeSantis

Sometimes the first thing you want to do once you get a new vehicle is hit the gas. It’s normal to see what your new truck, SUV, or car can do. However, with mandatory speed limiters and driver monitors, it may be impossible to go over the speed limit. 

Speed limiters and driver monitors are required in Europe 

According to Roadshow, new vehicles sold in Europe after May 2022 will be required to have speed limiters and systems to monitor driver attention levels. The European Commission announced these mandates on Tuesday and noted that the intelligent speed limiters alone could reduce fatalities on European roads by 20 percent. 

The announcement came right after Volvo released its commitment to limit the top speed on all its future cars to 112 miles per hour. They also announced that all of its future vehicles will have camera systems designed to detect drowsy, distracted, or intoxicated drivers. 

Meanwhile, the United States doesn’t have a mandate for automatic emergency braking yet. However, most automakers have pledged to make AEB standard on all new vehicles by September of 2022 to make roadways safer. 

How do limiters work? 

The speed limiters will use road sign recognition or data from navigation maps to warn the driver about the current speed limit. It will notify drivers if they are exceeding the speed limit. This technology is already offered on many new vehicles, but the EU will make it standard on every vehicle. 

Engine power will be limited to match the speed limit of a road that the vehicle is traveling on to prevent drivers from speeding. It will be possible to override the system by pushing hard on the throttle, but the system will be engaged every time the vehicle is started. 

Other safety technologies that are required include distracted or drowsy driver attention warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, backup cameras, and an improved event data recorder to store information before an accident. 

The rules still need to be formally approved by the EU parliament later this year. During the EU Commission’s announcement, they shared that it expected the required safety technologies to prevent about 25,000 deaths and 140,000 injuries on the road between 2022 and 2038. New vehicles will need to implement the technology by May 2022, and existing vehicle models have until May 2024 to add it. 

Will safety rules become stricter? 

A majority of automakers are moving toward increasing safety standards with the development of new technologies. While the speed limiters can be ignored by pressing the throttle harder, they may become more strict in the future. 

If the driver continues to speed for several seconds, the system will provide audio warnings. A visual display will also be seen until the vehicle operates under the speed limit again. While the limiters will come with an on and off switch at first, later systems could become stricter. 

This means that in the future, a more permanent system that reduces engine power could become mandatory. But public acceptance may be necessary for the introduction of these rules. We will keep you updated as we learn more.

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