Return of the king: Mercedes-Maybach S-Class adorns the LA Auto Show

By Andrew Hard November 19, 2014

Few monikers evoke a sense of luxury, status, and class like the name ‘Maybach.’

The high-profile Mercedes-Benz subsidiary has had a bit of a tumultuous history, but the German brand is giving the nameplate another go as an executive sub-brand at the 2014 LA Auto Show.

Carrying the flagship crest is the Mercedes-Maybach S600, an ultra-exclusive range-topper that sits above the standard S600 in the German brand’s lineup. Compared to the normal car, its wheelbase has grown by 8.1 inches, giving the car a hub-to-hub measurement of 132.5 inches and a total length of 214.6 inches.

The interior on the Maybach is, as you would expect, dressed to the nines. Set up like a first-class airline cabin, the roomy, Nappa leather-clad rear features two foldout tables, drink warmers and coolers, hand-stitched door trim, a personal TV screen, and two silver-plated champagne flutes. There’s no helpful attendant to keep you company, but the car’s pillow-y ride may make you feel like you’re riding on air.

Mercedes-Maybach S600

Mercedes-Maybach S600

Mercedes-Maybach S600

Going even further, the optional ‘Air-Balance’ package includes ambient ionization, filtration, and the premium ‘Agarwood’ fragrance, which presumably smells like Ron Burgandy’s apartment. You see, at this level, every road trip is like a coddled stay in a penthouse suite.

Like the S600, the rear-wheel drive sedan equips a 6.0-liter biturbo V12 that makes an eye-opening 523 horsepower and 612 pound feet of torque. Because of the added weight, though, the Maybach’s sprint to 60 mph (5.0 seconds) comes half a tick slower than the regular S-Class. But when you’re sitting in comfort in the padded backseat, sipping on bubbly and sniffing heartwood, we doubt you’ll notice.

Also making their U.S. debuts in LA are the Mercedes AMG GT, C63 AMG, S550 Plug-In Hybrid, and the facelifted CLS63 AMG.

The Mercedes-Maybach S600 goes on sale in April 2015 for around $200,000.

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