Now this is more like the Hollywood we know and love. For its entry in the 2011 LA Design Challenge Maybach (is it still making cars?) has rehashed the classic fairy-tale Cinderella. In the luxury manufacturer's retelling of the story Cindy's father is a skilled engineer making Berline carriages, luxurious modes of transportation reserved for the upper echelons of society.

On the night of her birthday Cindy's father surprises her with not only a new dress but also the use of a prototype Berline carriage that features remote driving via the Maybach Virtual Chauffeur Centre, a 3D laser projector, gullwing doors and a Royal Lounge seating area. That's all very nice but where's the Fairy Godmother?

Underneath all the fanciness though the Maybach Berline Carriage is based on the seven-seat Mercedes-Benz GL-Class and is powered by either an E-Cell or F-Cell (you would think Cindy's father would know which one - it's either plug it in or pump full of hydrogen).

Maybach says that moviegoers will awe in the romance and new technology as Cindy goes on the journey of a lifetime. Quite.

Paul Healy - 6 Nov 2011