What’s new?
It’s the car you never knew you wanted: the body of the Maybach 62 with 612bhp engine from the 57S. You’ll pay another £41,615 – about the same as mid-range, mid-spec E-class - for the pleasure of another 62bhp and the ability to knock 0.2sec off your 0-62mph time, though it should be said you’re also buying a revised grille, new wheels and modified light clusters. The interior is now finished in piano black and, get this, carbon fibre – in a car weighing 2855kg. The suspension remains unchanged, as does the restricted top speed.
What’s it like?
Fabulous to fall asleep in the back of, preposterously fast, fine riding and awesomely refined, it’s nevertheless still hard to think of it as anything more than a very stretched last generation S-class with a mighty powerful engine. It’s ugly, has very limited handling and for all its ability, just does not feel sufficiently special to warrant costing nearly three times more than the considerably more charming and no slower Bentley Flying Spur.
Should I buy one?
Why not two? The only Maybach that makes sense to me is the standard 62. If you are a tycoon with an empire that needs running from the back seat of a car, there is none better. That said, putting the more powerful engine into the 57S has helped improve sales considerably, so perhaps the same will happen here.
However, while there will always be a small constituency of people who will want the biggest, fastest and most expensive limo money can buy, even if I could afford it, I’d not count myself among them.
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