Daimler increases prices on 2012 Maybach models

That Daimler can't sell enough Maybach superluxury sedans to justify the brand's existence is the worst-kept secret in the entire automotive industry. The numbers don't really make a dent in what its competitors sell, and they are but a drop in the bucket of what the company moves as a whole. That's what's prompted Daimler to seek out more cost-effective alternatives to the current Maybach line, and what's reportedly forced them to move to shutter the brand in the near future.

So you'd think that the prices on buying a new Maybach would be dropping considerably as a result. And you may very well get your local dealer to cut one heck of a deal to get one of their limousines out of the showroom. But you wouldn't know it from the latest pricing updates released by Mercedes-Benz USA.

Instead of slashing their prices in an effort to turn a profit before shutting down the brand, Daimler has actually increased the MSRPs on 2012 models. Not by much, mind you – about US$4,000 across the board (save the US$1.38M Landaulet, which stays the same). Of course, that probably isn't enough to deter someone willing to shell out this kind of money from buying a Maybach. But the sheer audacity of raising the sails on a sinking vessel is certainly an interesting tactic to save the ship.