ESCAPE
HIGH ROAD
Driving FIRST CLASS
Recline and relax in the business-jet luxury of the new Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 By Howard Walker
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What does the sweet smell of success actually smell like? When it permeates the interior of Mercedes’ stunning new $160,000 flagship SUV—the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4Matic—it’s the flowery, light aroma of white osmanthus blossom, rounded off by a gentle leather note, with a hint of spicy tea. The olfactory-minded team at Mercedes-Benz created this unique fragrance to spritz the cabin of the hedonistic GLS 600. Here is a super-luxe business jet on wheels to challenge the likes of Bentley’s Bentayga, Range Rover’s SV Autobiography, and BMW’s Alpina XB7. And while it was developed from the Alabama-built, full-size Mercedes GLS 4x4 (prices from $76,000) it’s a different animal altogether. Just look at the thing: It has more bling than Liberace at his most flamboyant, Vegas best. It oozes opulence, from its flashy chrome grille to its shimmery-mesh air intake, from those towering polished rims to that gorgeous two-tone paint. While the exterior will rotate heads from Worth Avenue to Rodeo Drive, the interior is the exclamation point. Climb into the back—helped by self-lowering suspension—and settle into rear thrones that recline aircraft-style, with elevating footrests, built-in calf and back massagers, heaters, coolers, and pillows as headrests. A compartment between the seats can chill a bottle of Champagne and there are even a couple of flutes—for drinking, not playing—at your disposal. To serenade you while you imbibe, the state-of-theart Burmester 3D surround-sound system boasts 27 speakers and 1,590 watts of auditory bliss. Arguably the biggest thrill of this mighty Maybach is the way it drives. Its power comes courtesy of a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that
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2/4/21 1:33 PM
