Pros
- The V-12 has found its forever home
- The interior is decadent
- Sublimely understated
Cons
- Fuel economy is predictably poor
- It is predictably expensive
- Predictably, driving one makes you want one
When Mercedes made the decision to rebrand its über-luxurious subsidiary from Maybach to Mercedes-Maybach a few years ago, the thought process was clear: In a world of emerging luxury car brands, each offering its own brand of nouveau riche fanciness, Mercedes wanted to remind the world that not only is Maybach amongst the finest purveyors of comfort and understated luxury in the world, but that a Maybach is also still a Mercedes, with all the cachet that carries.
That ethos carries through to the Mercedes-Maybach S680 4Matic tested here, a car that hopes to remind you that although we’re heading toward an electrified future, there’s still merit in turning refined hydrocarbons into speed, sound, and status.
V-12, Baby!
This W223-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class–based Maybach came along in 2021, with three different engine options: a 3.0-liter six-cylinder for the S480 4Matic, a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 for the S580 4Matic, and a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V-12 for the S680 4Matic. There’s now an S580e plug-in hybrid based on the S480’s engine, but we get neither of those six-cylinder models in America.
The S680 tested here is now the exclusive home of the prestigious M279 V-12, and it teams with Mercedes’ effortless nine-speed automatic transmission and 4Matic all-wheel drive in a perfect match.
“Driver, Floor It.”
The 9G-Tronic automatic transmission is only rated to 664 lb-ft, so the twin-turbo 12-cylinder’s torque has been dialed back from the 738 lb-ft it made in the outgoing Maybach S650. Still, with 621 horsepower, the 5,254-pound limousine can hustle to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and through the quarter mile in 12.2 seconds at 116.4 mph. Mightily impressive, but what might impress even more is the S680’s dynamic performance. The car may be 17.9 feet long, but it only takes 108 feet to come to a complete stop from 60 mph! That’s just 6.02 car lengths, maybe an utterly useless number to publish but nonetheless very impressive. Indeed, as associate road test editor Erick Ayapana remarked, the S680 stops in 3 fewer feet than a 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing.
The S680 also impressed on our figure-eight handling course. It might seem counterintuitive to test the limit-handling of a long-wheelbase limo, but none of our tests tell us more about the overall setup of a vehicle than the figure eight, which combines accelerating, braking, and cornering in one go, and so was true of the Maybach.
Between the supersmooth acceleration, the silky upshifts, the appropriately quick downshifts (when requested), and spectacularly balanced rear-wheel steering, the S680 4Matic achieved a figure-eight lap time of 24.7 seconds at an average of 0.78 g. The equivalent Bentley, the Flying Spur W12, did it in 24.2 at 0.80 g, but perspective is perhaps better provided by the fact the S680 achieved the same lap time as the Acura Integra Type-S.
On the road, there’s no other way to say it: The Maybach is masterful. The star of the show is the Magic Body Control suspension system, also employed on regular S-Class cars, which uses a suite of front-facing cameras to scan the road for upcoming imperfections and predict the likely impact on the suspension. It then adjusts the shocks just in time for contact to be made, maintaining an even ride for driver and passengers wherever possible.
The engine and transmission feel right at home whether crawling through downtown traffic or sailing down the highway. The torque, as you might expect, is vast and plentiful, and the nine-speed automatic fettles in that power in a way which feels effortless.
The Interior? Wow.
It is a time of shifting change for the automotive industry, and nowhere is that felt more so than in car interiors, with each manufacturer having its own thoughts and timelines on what and when their products’ interiors will modernize, minimize, and revolutionize.
The Maybach does an admirable job of treading the line between legacy luxury limousine and modern tech-savvy vehicle. As a driver, the technology suite is comprehensive, well considered, and simple in application. The 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen is positioned close to the steering wheel so the driver may focus on driving even while making modifications to the dynamic setup, interior, climate, and infotainment. The native navigation system, as you may expect from a Mercedes product, works flawlessly—in fact, I found myself preferring it to the Maybach’s wireless Apple CarPlay, which I typically default to in most vehicles.
While this car is all about the rear seats—more on those in a moment—the driver and front passenger will not feel left out, with the same suite of programmed massages on offer in all four seats. The seats are amongst the most comfortable I have experienced, offering levels of support some other automakers’ supposedly luxurious seats can’t match.
Laid Bach in the Maybach
Now that we’ve praised the dynamics and driver’s quarters of the S680, the proper way this vehicle is supposed to be experienced is in the back. Specifically, the rear passenger side seat, enhanced by our car’s optional $6000 Executive Rear Seat Package Plus, offers a lay-flat seating arrangement indistinguishable from most business class flights. (Indeed, it may be more comfortable.) It involves the front passenger seat sliding forward and angling up and away from the rear passenger’s outstretched legs, which are themselves supported by a rest. I’m 6 feet tall and found no issues when sinking back. The spot behind the driver will also recline, although it doesn’t quite go fully flat owing to the driver’s spatial requirements.
Our car also featured the optional $4,300 miniature refrigerator in the rear bulkhead between the two seats. The cupholders are both heated and cooled, but should your beverage happen to be a glass of champagne, then fear not, as two additional cupholders feature retractable claws that clamp your flute’s base, thus ensuring your Brut and Sienna Brown/Black Exclusive Nappa leather never meet.
As one would expect, each rear passenger is treated to their own screen affixed to the headrest of the seat in front, by which they can consume media, adjust their comfort settings, and keep an eye on the driver’s work via a couple of tabs that depict acceleration, braking, and rpm data. Rear passengers can even take control of the suspension settings, firming up or softening the dampening to their liking. Those displays are joined by a smaller third screen/tablet located in the central armrest that can be popped out of its cradle to be handheld to ease the burden of having to look downward, presumably.
Best in Class
In the Mercedes-Maybach S680 4Matic, one is treated to a transportation experience that fortifies the mind, relaxes the body, invigorates the senses, and soothes the soul.
As the driver, the S680 will reward you with as comprehensive a driving experience as possible in one car, whether you’re wafting or hard-pedaling. As a passenger, you get to sit back and enjoy your surroundings, safe in the knowledge you’re riding in what has to be one of the great legacy automobiles of our time. It just might be the car perfected.
