We drove a Mercedes-Benz S650 Maybach: The Art of Luxury and Prestige

In a select company of super-luxury cars, only a handful of brands have survived all the various stages that the auto industry has gone through in its lifetime, and one of the most respected is certainly Maybach. The brand that has existed for some time as a special line of Mercedes-Benz models is still synonymous with expensive, luxury and prestigious cars, and the opportunity to try out the most powerful and prestigious S class with this special badge could not be missed.

As much as we tried to look at each car with the same eyes, when it came to Maybach it was hard to resist the feeling that we were not properly trained at the very least. Still, a limousine aimed at CEOs of megacorporations and rich country presidents, and must leave such an impression. The 5.4-meter-long black limousine with plenty of chrome and large 20-inch wheels manages to be elegant and harmonious, but at the same time be awe-inspiring. With the recent Maybach design refresh with a new grille, it looks even more powerful, so we just seemed to be missing the flags on the front fenders.

Essentially, the design is the same as the standard S-Class, but at the same time it is difficult to substitute Maybach for the standard model and it really needs to be recognized by designers. Luxury and prestige are easily revealed from every inch, but Maybach does it very subtly and smoothly. That this is a special car is the most revealing profile where attention is captured by the large rear doors and lavish wheelbase, which is a full 20 cm longer than with the standard S-Class.

Yet, only inside does Maybach discover why he is special and how different he is from the S-Class. Unlike all other cars, we first reach for the back door handle. The large and heavy door opens at a wide angle, and you are immediately blown away by the scent of quality Nappa leather, which is lined with virtually every inch of the interior. Already, there are similarities with cars for ordinary mortals. There are only two armchairs in the spacious and lavish rear of Maybach, and from the first moment you sit in them it becomes clear what the purpose of this car is and that the driver is less important here.

The soft armchairs back with extra alcantara-cushioned pillows work really therapeutically, and the myriad adjustments and plenty of space will make you find such a comfortable position that you just won’t want to go outside. Back passengers essentially have complete control over their driving environment, so they can move the front seat to get the maximum amount of legroom, and can then fully extend the lower armchair for an almost reclining position.

Special exclusive armchairs have been further enhanced by the heating and cooling system, while full comfort and first-class driving comfort offer Command remote the ability to control all infotainment functions from the rear seats, which also includes a separate Thermotronic rear seat air conditioning. In addition, the “first-class” console hides two large folding tables between the armchairs, while between the backrests the deep refrigerator can accommodate three bottles of champagne, or perhaps a Courvoisier, this detail is left to the discretion of the owner.

Things that only the chauffeur will be interested in

When our eyes got a little used to all that luxury and softness of the material, we wanted to check out how it was when driving. We looked a little suspiciously at the huge 20-inch rims with the sports tires of profile 35. In short, bad city and suburban roads, just like lying cops, disappear with the help of magic called “Magic Body Control”. This advanced system uses two small cameras behind the windshield to scan up to 15 meters of the road ahead of the car. The system thus obtains elevation information on the road and then provides suspension information with the active hydraulics to adjust it ideally to absorb those road roughnesses. In practice, this means that in Maybach you have the feeling of riding on a flying carpet and absorbs all the bumps with such ease and sleekness that relaxation on the rear armchairs is not hindered. Of course,

The driving environment itself is very familiar and essentially the same as that of the S-Class and other current Mercedes-Benz models. Of course, it’s the same until, for example, you look at what time it is and then you read the name IWC Schaffhausen on the analog clock . It is a prestigious brand of watches where the cheapest handheld models cost about 10 thousand euros, while their most famous Big Pilot model costs about 35 thousand euros. In Maybach, this is just one of the luxurious details.

However, with all the possible “toys” and luxury, we were most interested in the powerful V12 engine, which is also the most powerful engine on offer for Maybach. Pressing the start button triggers a 6-liter biturbo with a significantly longer start. Of course, the start of the engine is smooth and quiet, so it’s hard to believe at first that you have as much as 630 hpand a whopping 1,000 Nm of torque. In normal mode, the V12 shows why such engines have always been the right choice for such high-end sedans. How incredibly quiet and peaceful it is, it’s easy to think that even Maybach is powered by an electric motor. Still, at the touch of the accelerator, the long black sedan accelerates like a supersport car. The sprint to 100 km / h takes just over 4 seconds , and the most impressive thing is how it maintains high speed averages with incredible ease. Unreal sound insulation makes both passengers and driver very fierce accelerations seem very relaxed and it is really easy to exceed speed limits with Maybach.

For all those who want a little sporty notes from the V12, however, Mercedes-Benz has also offered a sporty engine and suspension mode. As superfluous as it may seem to us, it was still nice to hear all 12 cylinders under full load and open “valves” in the exhaust.

For a car that costs as much as 4-5 average flats and its owner, fuel consumption is hardly relevant, but to us ordinary mortals, the average of the factory-promised 18 liters per 100 kilometers in urban conditions seems as interesting as acceleration data. True, he will easily spend a lot more, but who cares.

In the end, it makes sense to ask yourself who may need Maybach at all and whether the “ordinary” S-Class really isn’t enough for all the prestigious needs. Of course it is not a matter of essential need, but of prestige and luxury, just as luxury yachts and business jets are not a matter of necessity and need. After all, Mercedes-Benz is quite pleased with the results of the Maybach line, and on average one in ten S-Class cars sold is delivered in the Maybach version. A similar attitude is taken by the authorized dealer of Mercedes-Benz, the Star-Centar company in Živinice, which, in addition to this prestigious Maybach and in our country, found its way to numerous buyers of equally expensive and exclusive AMG and Mercedes models. This is simply not the kind of article where we discuss price and rational criteria. We briefly took a peek into a world of elite that is unavailable to most of us and share it with you.

Test car base information: Mercedes-Benz S 650 Maybach
Price of the test model with options: KM 456,027 – Star-Centar doo Živinice

Engine: 12-cylinder, V configurations, 4-stroke, turbocharged, front mounted longitudinally. Displacement 5.980 cc, direct injection of fuel into the cylinders, four valves per cylinder. Maximum power 463 kW – 630 hp at 5,000 rpm. Maximum torque of 1,000 Nm from 2,300 to 4,200 rpm.

Power transmission: Rear axle drive, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, tires 245/40 R 20 (Goodyear Eagle F1).

Fuel Performance and Consumption:Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h – 4.3 s. Top speed – 250 km / h. Factory declared fuel consumption: 18.5 l / 100 km in the city, 9.3 l / 100 km on the open road, combined 12.7 l / 100 km. Average CO² emission: 289 g / km.

Dimensions: Length – 5.462 mm, width – 1.899 mm, height – 1.498 mm. Wheelbase – 3.365 mm. 500 liter luggage compartment volume. Curb weight – 2.285 kg. Maximum permissible mass – 2.820 kg. Fuel Tank Capacity – 80 liters.

Test car accessories:Metallic color, Designo leather seats Exclusive Semianilin seiden beige / titanium gray pearl, black roof trim coated with Dynamic microfaser material, Designo piano lacquered black line, 20-inch Maybach rims, Smartphone integration package, Mercedes-Benz preparation link, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, First-Class center console seat between rear seats, Driving Assistance Plus travel assistance package, rear seat airbags, rear seat fridge, dual cup holder, air-conditioned driver’s seat, front passenger and rear passengers, panoramic sliding sunroof, 7G-Tronic transmission, forward comfort seat package with Energizing function, Touchpad, rear seat tables, exclusive seats, head-up display, tire pressure control, Magic Body Control, Command Online,traffic sign system, active speed limitation system, Thermotronic air conditioning front and rear, thermal and sound insulation with UV and infrared protection, night driving assistant, Burmester Surround audio system #d with 27 high quality speakers totaling 1.570 Watti, Command remote rear seat controls, Magic Vision Control heated windscreen washer system, power tailgate and tailgate power steering, 64-color ambient lighting, wireless phone charging back and forth, wiper fluid heating, engine off for power cuts, adaptive braking headlights, Active Lane Assist, rear seat adjustable seats with memory function, Easy Adjust comfortable driver and front passenger head restraints, rear window curtains, Keyless GO,Handsfree accses system, Air-Balance package, Multibeam LED lights including Ultra Range high beam, Comfort back seat package with multi-contour seats, Individual rear seat entertainment system, Two headphones back, Active bonnet for pedestrian protection, Front seat memory package , alarm, parking system with 360 camera …