Your Chariot Awaits – Mercedes Maybach S600

YOUR CHARIOT AWAITS

— THE MERCEDES-MAYBACH S600 —

BY SHANE OOSTHUIZEN

hen the first brace of modern Maybach lux-barges broke cover in 2002, Maybach was blatant in its declaration that these were “the epitome of luxury motoring”. After all, they were as exclusive as they were expensive, taking the fight directly to Rolls-Royce and Bentley – the very brands Mercedes had declined to purchase in the late 1990s. The trouble was that by the time the cars rolled off the production line in 2003, they were being built on outdated platforms and had the uninspired styling to match. Needless to say, it wasn’t the roaring success the upper echelon at Daimler had hung their hats on, not by a long shot!

As a result, sales were predictably slow. Maybach never quite reached the 1,000 units per year forecast, selling only 3,000 in the past decade, with a reported loss of more than $500,000 per car. Mercedes, somewhat red-faced and deeply out of pocket, quietly discontinued the brand in 2013. Critics suggested a return of the badge unlikely, banishing it to the brand scrapheap.

Now, though, a mere two years later, the Maybach nameplate has returned. With a tip of the hat to the bones of the current year’s S-Class, Mercedes has elevated their near-perfect, range-topping S600 to the next level. By bolting the Maybach nameplate onto the big S-Class, Mercedes has gone about creating a

Although the Maybach shares all the technological wonderment of the S-Class range, it’s more about presence than gadgetry.

luxury car with tasteful, understated looks, complete with an opulent interior that can hold its own among the “world’s best”.

The S-Class has always been about conservative style and elegance merged with leading automotive engineering. It is, and always has been, the most forward-looking luxury car on the planet. In fact, many standard features we take for granted today, such as airbags, anti-lock brakes, and the passenger safety cell, are owed to the S-Classes of yore.

Although the Maybach shares all the technological wonderment of the S-Class range, it’s more about presence than gadgetry. There really is no better way to demonstrate your success while wafting between airports and business meetings. The most obvious difference between the “stock” S600 and the Maybach is space. The length and wheelbase have increased by about 20 centimetres, solely to the benefit of rear-seated passengers. With much more legroom and a bit more headroom, it offers what Daimler claims to be the quietest back-seat experience in any production car.

A full panoramic sunroof is standard, allowing natural light to illuminate the cabin by day, while automated fibre-optic ambient lighting picks up the task at night. Although the S-Class already features a best-in-class interior, the Mercedes-Maybach takes that up a notch, adding more lavishness than ever before. Inside the Maybach S600 it’s more private jet than private town car, with a list of comfort features that read like the itinerary of a Hilton Hotel’s presidential suite. The rear seats, for example, offer a full range of power adjustability, with massage function and powered calf-support. A footrest

can also be powered out of the front seatbacks to award the aft-seated mogul added relaxation.

In addition, the interior features a unique wraparound wood trim, an IWC-badged clock with individually milled numbers and chrome-plated speaker grilles. Speaking of the acoustics, passengers have full benefit of a Burmester 3D-surround sound system, and a pair of Robbe & Berking silver-plated champagne flutes. Passengers enjoy cup holders that serve both cooling and warming functions, as well as articulated tables that unfold from the rear console.

On the outside, the details are similarly subtle, yet effective in setting the Maybach apart from its S-branded siblings. The only telltale Maybach emblems you will find are on the rear pillars and headrests. No gaudy Subarutype STI badging here! The stretch in wheelbase leaves the Maybach looking even more substantial than the already vast S-Class. Upfront, the grille features distinct Maybach-esque chrome strips, followed by a vast bonnet and deftly raked front windscreen.

This detail flows across the car’s flanks, ending with one of the neatest rear-ends on any sedan. A triangular window has been added to each of the C-pillars, allowing the rear doors to be shortened. This has been done to offer the occupants a little more in the way of privacy, providing them with a titch more metal to hide behind. This, along with the standard privacy shades for the rear windows, means a harder time for any would-be paparazzi.

As with all cars of this class, buyers have the luxury of choice when it comes to customising their orders, with individuality being the watchword. Buyers have a plethora of options when it comes to exclusive materials, no

The S600 Maybach manages to successfully combine old-world luxury with newworld technologies, making it a real contender.

less than 20 colour options, and many wheel designs. But of course it doesn’t stop there. After all, something needs to keep those forged 20-inch wheels turning. And turn they do.

Under the sloped bonnet, Maybach buyers can opt for six, eight or twelve cylinders, though some markets will only offer the latter. Featuring the same 525 horsepower bi-turbo 6.0litre V12 found in the big S-Class, the Maybach S600 will breeze from 0-100km/h in five seconds, topping out at an electronically limited 250kmh.

With the 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class already filling a more luxurious niche above S-Class range, the German carmaker has unveiled an even longer and more luxurious version, bringing back the Pullman name. Since several pre-production prototypes of the new model have already been spied around Brabus’s headquarters in Bottrop, it seems that the ultra-long MercedesMaybach Pullman was developed and will probably be manufactured by the famed tuner.

The more modest Mercedes-Maybach S600 officially reached showrooms in April 2015, where it has been pitched at a price point squarely aimed at Bentley’s Flying Spur. Starting at a whisker over R2.5-million, the big Merc is a bargain when compared to the likes of Rolls-Royce. The S600 Maybach manages to successfully combine old-world luxury with new-world technologies, making it a real contender. Instead of aiming to create an all-new brand, Mercedes has taken an already world-class car and made it even better.

The Merc-Maybach is a proper competitor now, taking the fight directly to the likes of Bentley and Rolls. As a result, the new Maybach has managed to successfully do what the old car couldn’t – be one of the greatest cars in the world.