2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580

Top of the line.

BY TIM LAPPEN

THOSE FAMILIAR WITH AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY WILL TELL YOU THAT Wilhelm Maybach was a very talented engine designer who went on to create great things during his lifetime (mid-1800s until 1929). His engines (some developed with Gottlieb Daimler) powered boats, automobiles, and even Zeppelins (the rigid “blimps” of the past). In current times, the name will be remembered as the ultra-luxury sub-brand that Mercedes-Benz debuted about 20 years ago. Those cars did not sell well, so the name and sub-brand were retired in 2013. The name was resurrected a few years later, and today it is used on the nameplate of the parent brand’s most elegant machines: the MercedesMaybach S 580 and S 680 and the Mercedes-Maybach GLS luxury SUV.

The Mercedes-Maybach is similar to the Mercedes S 580, though it is longer, more powerful, faster, and more expensive. The Maybach S 580 has a twinturbo, 4-liter V-8 engine assisted by an electric motor, with a combined 496 HP. The base price is $184,900. On the other hand, the S 680 sports a V-12 motor pumping out 621 HP and a base price of $229,000.

“My” Mercedes-Maybach was an S 580 painted in a luxurious two-tone of onyx black below “Kalahari gold” above the beltline and on the roof. I wasn’t too enthusiastic about the color when I read what I was getting, but in person, it is gorgeous. Offset by 21-inch “Champagne Flute” wheels ($1,300), the car has a great stance and is a real eye-catcher, especially as it is about 7 inches longer than the standard body on the S class. Other notable options on my S 580 were special aluminum and walnut interior trim ($3,200); special champagne flutes with their own holder inside the trunk’s wine refrigerator (accessible from the back seat), a $3,200 option; and special leather seating ($8,000). All told, the $184,900 base price rose to $231,100 on my Maybach.

Due to its increased weight (over 5,200 pounds for the S 580 compared to 4,775 pounds for the standard S-class), the Maybach has the coveted ride that only a heavy car can achieve, since mass is so effecti ve at smoothing out the bumpy rides most cars experience on roads with rougher surfaces.

But don’t assume that the smooth ride and extreme comfort lead to a hohum performance, as the Maybach has the chops, too. The 0-60 MPH time is 4.7 seconds, and the top speed is 155 MPH. The car handles well, too, in a way that belies its heft, thanks to Mercedes-Benz’s well-known ability to create suspensions that are at once supple and high performance.

Driving the Maybach (which, by the way, is pronounced “my-bach”) is a pleasure. Acceleration is sharp and responsive; the ride is smooth and quiet; the sound of the engine is subdued but pleasant; and the driver’s comfort is terrific. The sound system is great, too, no doubt assisted by the copious amount of insulation and other sound-deadening technology that keep the mechanical noises at bay.

Coupling an attractive design with outstanding performance and a beautiful and commodious interior, for the Mercedes-Maybach S 580, it’s clear that the second time is a charm.

JIMMY CHOO™

You wouldn’t dare wear your Jimmy Choos with a bad pedicure. Enter the fashion house’s head-to-toe beauty products created to make sure you look as good all over as the sculptural shoes you don. Go for the perfume bottle-like nail polish collection with four color options, including a sparkly one. us.jimmychoo.com

NARCISO RODRIGUEZ

This iconic designer relishes understatement and elegance. In that mode, his new scent, an ode to modern femininity, Music Noir Rose, seduces with a voluptuous bouquet of tuberose highlighted by pink peppercorn and top notes of Italian bergamot oil. narcisorodriguez.com