There are luxury car makers, and then there’s Maybach – the Mercedes-Benz offshoot that has Rolls-Royce firmly in its sights with its Maybach 57 luxury saloon.
The 57, which refers to its 5.73m length is the most popular Maybach model. It’s one of the world’s most luxurious cars. In fact, only the Rolls-Royce Phantom comes close. It can carry a driver, front passenger and up to three rear passengers on a serene, silent and spacious journey.
There’s a 5.5-litre version and a 6.0-litre S. Both have V12 engines. Both are incredibly fast, given their 2.7-tonne kerb weight. At 604bhp, the 57 S achieves 61bhp more than the standard 57, thanks to the twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 from the Mercedes S65 AMG.
Incredibly, it is not so much the engine’s massive power that gives the 57 S its character, more the endless reserve of torque, which swells to 738lb ft at just 2000rpm to provide the Maybach with devastating off-the-line and in-gear acceleration.
Although it carries a vast array of electronic driving aids, the 57 S’s engine has more than enough low-end grunt to make the otherwise dignified Maybach light up its rear tyres. Before you do, however, you’ll want to select the five-speed automatic transmission’s manual mode for more rapid shifts and dial up the second of two sport settings for the air suspension to keep body movements reined in.
Despite tipping the scales at a 2735kg, the 57 S is capable of hitting 62mph from rest in 5.0sec and powering from 50mph-75mph in a crushingly rapid 3.7sec. Top speed is limited to 171mph, although there’s little doubt that it would haul beyond 200mph when left to its own devices.
