Image via Mr. Benz/YouTube
Back in 2006 rapper Jay-Z released the Lost One music video which featured him cruising around town behind the wheel of a Maybach Exelero. That track was featured on the comeback album Kingdom Come and it got the hype machine going. As a result, people have believed the high-end car belonged to Jay-Z, but the reality is something different.
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Most people believe the Exelero is just a very expensive luxury coupe. In reality, it’s a concept car of which there is only one in existence. It was revealed to the public in 2005, wowing the industry and anyone who saw it.
Why is easy to understand, with its bold, flowing lines and a layout somewhat reminiscent of Pre-War luxury sports cars, only in a closed-wheel modern form factor. Created under a collaboration between Maybach and Fulda, a German tire company which is now owed by Goodyear, it was built to show off the abilities of a new line of high-speed tires.
Stola, an automotive company in Italy, actually built the Exelero for Maybach. The company used the Maybach 57 S for the underpinnings, crafting a new body. While a lot of people pressured Maybach to make the Exelero a production vehicle so they could buy one, the company felt it wouldn’t be successful enough.
Under that long hood is a biturbo 6.0-liter V12 that reportedly produces just under 700-horsepower. It can do 0-62 mph in 4.4 seconds, which isn’t too bad, especially for back in 2005. The concept car can hit 218 mph as demonstrated in a much-publicized top speed run performed in Italy after the Exelero was revealed.
Currently, the Exelero is housed in the National Auto Museum in Germany, not Jay-Z’s garage. But there’s no shortage of articles on car, music, and other websites claiming the one-of-one ride belongs to the rapper. That simply isn’t true.
Image via Mr. Benz/YouTube
