We live in an era of loud luxury where bespoke handbags and clothes are often emblazoned with logos or brand names so the rest of the world knows that you are better than them. What is an exorbitantly rich person in Beverly Hills supposed to do if they don’t need the size and bulk of the prerequisite Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, Range Rover, or Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and they don’t want a boring sedan? Don’t worry your overinflated head. Mercedes-Maybach has exactly what your mansion has been missing: the new Mercedes-Maybach SL680 Monogram Series, a two-seat version of the until now AMG-only SL roadster.
If the normal AMG SL is simply too pedestrian for you, or your taste puts smoothness, comfort, and isolation above outright sportiness, then the Maybach SL is finally here to save the day. Is it all that and a bag of Erewhon-branded gourmet chips? I took one for the team and did the dirty job of flying to Ibiza to find the answer to this vital consumer question.
Full disclosure: Mercedes flew me to The Venga Boys’ favorite Spanish island of Ibiza. I stayed at a ridiculously ritzy resort, took a 90-foot luxury yacht to a privately owned island, and ate lots of delectable delicacies, none of which I could ever dream to afford on my own dime. I’m very grateful for the opportunity, and though I wouldn’t call myself a hero for bearing the burden of such a mundane trip, if you think that title fits, I’m just doing my job.
SL should stand for softened luxury
The SL name stands for “Sport-Leicht,” which means sport light, a moniker that fit the original 1950s model. Neither of those adjectives really describe the Maybachified take on the SL, though at 4,519 pounds it’s only 176 pounds heavier than the SL63, so I envision that Softened Luxury is a more fitting description. So what did Mercedes do to the entirely too uncivilized Mercedes-AMG SL63 to make it into a Maybach? Not as much as I hoped, honestly.
If you’re familiar with Maybach’s nomenclature, then you may be expecting the SL680 to have an ultra-luxe V12 under its new chrome-splined hood — I know I did. Apparently logic and reason go out the window when you’re as ritzy as Maybach, since the SL680 has the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 as the plain old AMG SL. It produces the same 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque as it does in the SL63, and it is sent to the road through a retuned 9-speed automatic transmission that feeds power to all four wheels courtesy of Mercedes’ 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system, which has an electronically locking rear differential to keep things under control even in slippery conditions. It’s half a second slower than the AMG to 60 mph with a claimed time of 4.0 seconds, but it has the highest top speed of any Maybach vehicle ever at 161 mph (35 mph slower than the SL63). No, there’s no drift mode here, that would be preposterously uncouth.
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As standard, the Maybach SL Monogram Series’ soft top is monogrammed with many (relatively) subtle Maybach logos. Drop that top using the currently Maybach-specific physical console-mounted switches, and you reveal the exclusively two-seat interior. Everything below the upper-most level of the interior is dripping in opulent, ostensibly pristine Crystal White Nappa leather surfaces. That includes the seats, center console, door cards, glove box, and yes, even the freakin’ high-pile carpets are a bright white. Or at least they will be for a brief glorious moment before you ever sit in the car — as soon as you step into the Maybach SL, you will have to call your butler to prepare the carpet shampooer for when you return to your mansion because you can’t be seen driving around with soiled carpets lest someone think you can’t afford to have your roadster professionally detailed after each drive. Crystal White is the only interior color offered for the Maybach SL at the moment, even if you open Pandora’s box, AKA Mercedes’ Manufaktur customization program.
Taking Maybach to the next level
If it’s a sunny day, you might want to put on your designer shades before you look too closely at the glitzy Maybach SL. At first glance, you may notice its reworked front end with its signature chrome Maybach waterfall grille, the first standing star hood ornament ever to be fitted to an SL, the chrome windshield frame and the chrome lower grille surround. Look closer and you’ll see the lower black grille, which has a repeating pattern of Maybach logos, bringing to mind the finest pasta shape ever invented, SpongeBob-shaped mac-n-cheese.
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Beyond all the blinding chrome, the Maybach SL is initially only offered in two “curated designs,” either the Red Ambiance with its Garnet Red Metallic paint and black hood, or the White Ambiance with its Opalite White Magno paint and black hood. There are also two available wheel choices, either a set of 20-inch chrome monoblocks or a set of multi-spoke chrome and black wheels. Beyond the two curated styles and the two wheel choices, buyers can fork over several thousand dollars to have the black hood sprinkled with enough Maybach logos to make Louis Vuitton himself turn over in his grave. In Europe, the logo-emblazoned hood costs €6,500, though U.S. pricing hasn’t been announced yet. If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.
No lounging allowed
Unlike the lowly AMG SL, the Maybach SL680 is exclusively a two-seat affair. Instead of questionably useful back seats, the Maybach gets a leather-lined shelf that’s covered by a Maybach-monogramed double-scoop hard black shell. As a famously gangly passenger, I was greatly disappointed by how restrictive the double-scoop shell is for seat travel; with my seat in a position that allowed my long legs to stretch out comfortably, I could only sit bolt upright. I don’t think the shell adds enough to the silhouette to make up for its infuriatingly intrusive nature. Especially in a Maybach, passengers should be able to comfortably recline, regardless of how extreme their extremities may be.
The bright white cargo shelf is covered in a material that’s soft to the touch, which means anything you place back there will be body slamming against the gorgeous quilted leather and elegant metal Burmester speaker grates that also reside back there. This may sound strange, but I think the gracefully curved Crystal White leather paneling that furnishes the space behind the front seats, complete with a centrally embossed Maybach logo, is the most visually impressive part of the Maybach SL. It’s a shame that it’s hidden underneath that space-eating double-scoop shell; I had to put the top down, tilt both front seats forward, open the door, and crawl between the seat and the door sill just to photograph its opulence. That said, the Maybach emblems and satin-finish metal collars on the seat backs are a delightful detail.
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Annoyingly, the center console is covered in a fat slab of piano black plastic, which feels cheap. There’s no wood in this Maybach, just cow hides, metal, and plastic. The Maybach SL’s interior is almost exactly the same as the AMG SL aside from the physical switches for roof operation, but we are told the SL will soon receive those as well. The black upper dash is another classic Mercedes touch, but it’s a jarring contrast to the rest of the blindingly white interior, and the big plastic speaker grille in the middle of the dash also cheapens the appearance. The SL gets a Maybach steering wheel design, which includes a black plastic rim that neither me nor my sweaty hands are particularly fond of, but it does look neat. The metal Maybach pedals feel lovely under your feet, which is good because owners might be tempted to ditch their shoes before driving due to those easily soiled white floor mats.
A return to the softer SLs
Driving the Maybach SL680 is a pleasant experience regardless of which drive mode you’re in, though there are some quirks. As with every Mercedes, the Maybach SL defaults at startup to Comfort mode, but since it’s a Maybach it gets an additional extra-comfy Maybach mode that adds a delay to throttle and steering inputs to ensure optimum smoothness. While it does achieve that mission, it also makes for some scary moments if you’re trying to, say, navigate a busy Ibizan roundabout at rush hour and you need to zip into a small gap. Switching into Maybach mode feels like it had too much Botox injected into the throttle pedal and steering wheel. That’s fine in theory, but in practice, rather than feeling intentional and luxurious, it feels more like the transmission is broken. The driving experience is smooth overall, but the delayed reactions of the throttle and steering make the car feel not responsive enough for some traffic situations, and goopy and very artificial in every other situation.
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In the transition from AMG to Maybach, engineers added softer springs, reduced the pressure inside the dampers to add more wheel travel, and the damper oil has increased flow to react quicker and more precisely to changing road conditions. In practice, it feels nominally smoother than the AMG SL, which didn’t have a particularly harsh ride in the first place. The exhaust system receives new mufflers, though Sport mode allows the V8 to bellow more audibly, and it’s a lovely sound. The soft top received no additional sound deadening, but there are more acoustic foams and fleeces throughout the car to drown out road and tire noise at speeds, so the Maybach SL balances sport and isolation quite well.
It’s not what I’d call fun to drive, but it is very capable when pushed around twisty roads. It exhibits no body roll and it still clings to the road in corners despite reduced camber when compared to the AMG SL, but it never feels eager or excited to hustle through turns. Honestly, I think that demeanor is fine given the Maybach SL’s luxe focus.
Appealing to the new money and nepo baby crowd
The Mercedes-Maybach SL680 isn’t vastly different from the Mercedes-AMG SL63 that it’s based on, so if you’re hoping for an exclusive driving experience, you might disappointed. Driving the Maybach SL is a lovely experience, but it’s not like driving the SL63 is a chore, so ultimately going Maybach will be a matter of taste. The current SL is already a pretty car with elegant curves and nicely restrained styling, but going for the Maybachified version changes that. The instant the nose of the new Maybach SL rounds a corner into sight, you know it’s something fancy. You’ve heard of the concept of stealth wealth? Well the Maybach SL is the polar opposite of that — it’s overt opulence.
If you’re in a financial position to actually buy a Maybach SL680 and you’re not afraid of the 99% revolting against your opulent lifestyle, just buy it. If you’re reading this from outside of the velvet-roped VIP section, it’s an AMG SL with a new grille and some Botox injected into the driving experience to keep it from developing any wrinkles that might give away its pedestrian AMG SL lineage. It’s neither a revelation in luxury, nor a revelation in sportiness, but it is an impressive, opulent, comfortable convertible grand tourer for you and your fourth wife.
Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik
Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik
