Wow! That was my first reaction when I first saw it. There it was, sitting out in the Autoline parking lot, basking in the glow of its own imposing magnificence.
Let me tell you, there’s something about this leviathan motor coach that commands instant respect. It’s the kind of sedan that says, “The people in this car are very, very important.”
Mercedes really knows how to make luxury cars, but with the Maybach S-Class, the designers and engineers went beyond what they’ve done before.
Visually, it starts with the optional two-tone paint job. A very impressive two-tone paint job, I must say, because it’s not one of those cheaper two-tone jobs like Rolls-Royce uses that only has a contrasting color on the hood, roof and trunk. Those are all separate body panels and relatively easy to paint with a contrasting color.
No, the Maybach two-tone paint job has two different colors on the fenders, and the doors and the rear quarter panel. That’s the expensive way to do it. Since there are two different colors on the same panels, that’s the kind of paint job that requires careful taping, multiple runs through the paint shop, and probably plenty of wet sanding in between. It takes expert craftsmanship to pull that off.
Then there’s the wheels. Yes, you can choose fancy-shmancy multi-spoke sport wheels, or you can choose to go with the smooth dish-type ones. If you’ve got this car on your shopping list, I would recommend these dish wheels. There’s something about those smooth-looking rims that just exude refinement and class. They’re the kind of wheels that say, ‘I come from old money’ not ‘I just hit the lottery.’
To make sure no one confuses this car with an S-Class Mercedes, there’s the Maybach crest mounted on the sail panel above the rear wheels. And it works. It’s impressive to see how a crest with just a couple of letters can add such a formal look to a car.
Inside, it’s the same story as the outside. The beautifully crafted cabin is a quality showcase of stitching, seams, screens, inlaid wood, leather, and carpeting. There’s a fastidious attention to detail on every visible surface, and it just begs you to run your hand over it.
There’s not a lot to say about driving impressions. After all, this is a car in which you should be chauffeured around so you can enjoy the quiet solitude of the cabin with its enormous rear leg room, so you can raise the padded footrests to rest your weary feet, so you can swing out the convenient folding tables to work in style, and so you can pop open the handy refrigerator with its optional $3,200 champagne flutes. Yes, if you own a Maybach, you’ve made it, so why not celebrate with a bit of the bubbly?
If you must drive, then you’ll appreciate the quiet power of the 496 hp twin-turbo 4-liter V8 under the hood. You’ll feel contentment as the air suspension absorbs all the imperfections of any road. And you’ll remark at how quickly the touch screens react to your selections. And then, once you’ve experienced all those things, you’ll ask Jeeves to take over the driving so you can retire to the back seat again.
The Maybach S580 starts at just a touch below $185,000. The one I got to test drive had $43,000 worth of options, bringing the total to $227,900. That puts the Maybach in fairly rarified company. But not at the top. Rolls, Bentley and soon even Cadillac will have models that cost much more than that.
And that’s got me wondering what Mercedes-Benz has up its sleeve. Because as good as the Maybach is, there are other cars that are more exclusive. And for a company that tells its customers to choose, “the best, or nothing,” there must be plans for something that supersedes the Maybach.
By: John McElroy
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John McElroy is an influential thought leader in the automotive industry. He is a journalist, lecturer, commentator and entrepreneur. He created “Autoline Daily,” the first industry webcast of industry news and analysis.
