Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Luxury and performance? Mercedes S-Class boss rules out Maybach-AMG crossover

Andrew Hard
By

Performance and luxury have traditionally meshed well under the Mercedes-Benz banner, but that relationship is only fruitful to a point.

Eventually, if you start taking too much from both sides, you’re left with something that does some things well, but nothing exceptionally. In the case of Maybach and AMG, perhaps a little separation is better for everyone.

Recommended Videos

Mercedes’ S-Class development director Dr. Hermann-Joseph Storp recently told the U.K.’s Car Magazine that you won’t be seeing an AMG-Maybach crossover any time soon, confirming that the sub-brands will remain exclusive and largely independent of each other.

Related

As cool as a high-performance executive limo sounds, Storp’s comments start to make sense when you actually imagine the hypothetical vehicle. An AMG’s stiff suspension is bred for the smooth track, not the bumpy road, and a sub-4.0-second 0 to 60 mph time could cause the Maybach S600’s silver-plated champagne flutes to spill onto the Nappa leather.

It also begs the question: where would you put all the badges? Mercedes-Maybach-AMG S-Class is quite the handful, and that makes for a cluttered rear end.

Furthermore, the customer base for both brands is entirely different. A Maybach customer wants to ride in comfort and style, with a cabin so quiet that even the loudest squeals of the proletariat won’t penetrate the hand-stitched door trim.

An AMG customer, by contrast, wants to shred rubber.

That’s not to say that an AMG car can’t be comfortable, and a Maybach won’t have some grunt when you need it. It’s doubtful that anyone would scoff at the G63 AMG’s ‘G-Wagen’ interior, or call the 6.0-liter, 523-horsepower biturbo V12 from the aforementioned S600 overly weak.

These are Mercedes-Benz vehicles after all.

Editors' Recommendations

Andrew Hard
Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Mercedes-AMG EQE proves performance EVs are here to stay
mercedes amg eqe sedan preview

Mercedes-Benz is going all-in on electric cars, but it's not abandoning performance. Launching in the U.S. in early 2023, the Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 4Matic+ (or AMG EQE for short) sedan is the second EV from Mercedes' AMG performance division.

As with most AMG models, this four-door EV is a tuned version of an existing Mercedes, in this case the EQE sedan. Unveiled in September 2021, the EQE slots below the larger EQS sedan in Mercedes' growing EV lineup. The AMG version gets its own powertrain and numerous other hardware changes, plus subtle model-specific styling features.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept is a luxury EV with a 621-mile range
The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept in motion.

Ahead of CES 2022, Mercedes-Benz unveiled an electric concept car that pushes the limits of efficiency and range.

The Vision EQXX boasts a claimed range of over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), or about 100 miles more than the current range champ, the 520-mile Lucid Air. Mercedes didn't achieve that by simply using a bigger battery pack. In fact, at 100 kilowatt-hours of usable capacity, the concept car's pack is close in size to the Air's. Instead, Mercedes focused on making every part of the Vision EQXX — from tires to batteries — as efficient as possible.

Read more
2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class first drive review: Titan of tech
A broad grille and low stance give the 2021 Mercedes Benz S Class an aggressive look.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the platonic ideal of a luxury car. Since 1972, it has embodied automotive class and sophistication. It’s also the most important car Mercedes makes.

The S-Class has long served as a technological pioneer for the auto industry, introducing features, such as antilock brakes, airbags, and stability control, that eventually trickled down to more mainstream cars.

Read more