India, March 28 -- Car launches don't get grander than this. A massive set, featuring double-stacked white columns, created a modern arena on the lush grounds of the Raffles Udaipur. Hundreds of synchronised drones formed the iconic Maybach logo in the sky. There was a fashion show by Gaurav Gupta. It all set the stage for the real star - the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series - to make its grand entrance on the runway.

Only three units of the convertible, priced at Rs.4.2 crore, have been allocated to India. Why spend so much for three cars that already have buyers lined up? It was to showcase Mercedes's commitment to India, which is now among the top 10 global markets for Maybach.

India accounted for just 500 of the 21,000 Maybac...