With the genes of the über-sporty AMG GT, Mercedes now presents the Maybach SL, an open two-seater in the world of absolute luxury and comfort. Is this a successful exercise, or does the concept limp too much on two thoughts?
What kind of car is the Mercedes-Maybach SL?
In addition to a limousine, an SUV, and an EV, there is a fourth model under the Mercedes-Maybach label: an open two-seater that, in Mercedes tradition, goes by the name SL. Until recently, Mercedes served the top end of the market with no fewer than three open cars: of course, with the SL, but also with the über-sporty AMG GT Roadster and, on the other side of the spectrum, the S-Class convertible. This range has now been cut back. The AMG GT Roadster and the S-cabrio are no more. From now on, the SL has to do it alone again and, in passing, replace those other two as far as possible. The current SL comes from AMG’s stable, and the car shares its genes with the second generation of the AMG GT, of which there is no longer a Roadster variant. So, the SL also takes on that task. The SL is therefore not a Mercedes-Benz but a Mercedes-AMG. Nice. But is the average SL driver waiting for anabolic steroids from Affalterbach? Let alone the clientele for the S-cabrio. That’s why there is now the Mercedes-Maybach SL based on the 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL (the R232). Although this car is based on AMG technology, it is less about sportiness and dynamics, and more about luxury.
The Mercedes-Maybach SL shares its genes with the AMG GT.
How do you recognize the Maybach SL?
For the time being, there is one variant, and that is the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series, which comes in Red Ambience (garnet red) and White Ambience (opalite white). You can recognize the Maybach SL on the outside by, among other things, the grille with vertical bars, which does not have the large star as in the AMG SL. The star stands proudly on the hood. At the rear, the car does not have the diffuser of the AMGs but a slightly more ordinary bumper. To further emphasize that you are not dealing with an AMG, the convertible top is full of a multitude of Maybach logos, as if it were a Louis Vuitton bag. Nicely modest. The introductory version comes standard with a black hood. If you find that boring, you can also have it completely covered with Maybach logos – matching the convertible top.
With the Mercedes-Maybach SL, the star is not in the grille but stands on the hood.
Is the SL a spacious car?
With the top open, you naturally have all the space in the world. Fortunately, the windshield is high enough to prevent you from sitting in the wind with your forehead. With the top closed, you can still sit comfortably with a height of almost 2 meters. Try doing that in a Mazda MX-5, where 1.80 is already tight. Unlike the AMG SL (a 2+2), the Maybach SL has no rear seat; it is a true two-seater. In place of the rear seat, you have a neatly finished compartment for luggage. That space is neatly hidden under a cover plate, handy when you drive open: then your belongings will not blow out. For the rest of your luggage, you have 240 liters available in the trunk, quite modest for a trip to the South of France.
For the time being, the interior is only available in white; only the top of the dashboard is black.
How is the interior furnished?
The seats provide support in all directions and, like the rest of the interior, are upholstered in white leather. The high-pile carpet is also pure white. How long that stays that way depends on yourself. In any case, it all looks excellently cared for. The dashboard design is very similar to that of the AMG GT, and that is very familiar Mercedes. The operation does not differ from what we know from the other models. Crystallized. If you are used to a C-Class, you can drive away here. And there is little wrong with that in itself. Unlike the AMG SL, the Maybach SL does not have a large driving mode button on the steering wheel. You can change the driving mode on the center console. What the Maybach does have and the AMG does not: physical buttons to open and close the top, so no swiping over the infotainment system. The multimedia screen is also adjustable, handy for eliminating unwanted glare when driving open.
The operation follows the setup that we also know from other Mercedes.
Which engines are available?
In contrast to the Maybach S 680, the SL 680 does not have a 6.0-liter V12; it is only available with the four-liter V8 from the AMG SL 63, as well as its nine-speed automatic (Speedshift MCT 9G) plus four-wheel drive. Like the AMG SL 63, the V8 peaks at 585 hp and 800 Nm. Although it is an AMG engine, strangely enough, it does not bear the signature of the man (m/f) who built it (as is customary with AMG). Instead, you get a Maybach logo. However, do not expect the same speed from the Maybach SL 680 as from the AMG SL 63. The Maybach is different in design, more focused on comfort and luxury than on absolute performance. This is achieved through a different response to the accelerator pedal, smoother hydraulic engine mounts, and a more relaxed automatic. As a result, the Maybach needs 4.1 seconds for the sprint from zero to 100 km/h, while the AMG can do that in 3.6 seconds. Furthermore, the Maybach has other driving modes: in addition to Comfort and Sport, there is the Maybach mode, which is a kind of Comfort+. The Sport+ and Race modes are missing. The car has also been made quieter. In addition to insulation material, investments have also been made in adjustments to the inlet and outlet. In Sport mode, there is still a raw V8 roar, but that seems to come partly from the Burmester sound system.
AMG engines bear the signature of the person who built it, except in the Maybach SL.
How does the Maybach SL drive?
As a true AMG, the car is equipped with coil springs all around, but with a lift system on the front axle. And like the AMG GT, the Maybach SL has Active Ride Control, a hydraulic stabilization system instead of conventional torsion stabilizers. Here, there is a hydraulic connection between left and right (just like early on with the Hydraulastic system of some British Leyland models). In Comfort mode, it is indeed more comfortable than the AMG counterpart, and in Maybach mode, even more so. In Sport, everything becomes a lot firmer, but still not AMG. The car comes standard with four-wheel steering; the rear wheels can steer in and out by a maximum of 2.5 degrees. At high speed, this contributes to extra stability. And that’s nice because the steering works quite directly and sometimes reacts very alertly. However, the chassis will never let you down when you dive into a corner (too) quickly. The limits are quite far away.
What does the Maybach SL cost?
For the time being, there is one variant, and that is the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series, which is listed for € 366,143. That is 75k more than the AMG 63, which costs ‘only’: € 291,308. Indeed, 75 grand for a car that is slower. But fair is fair: no detail seems to have been overlooked; everything has been taken care of down to the last detail. And it is extremely complete. With the AMG SL, you have a long list of options with things that are standard on the Maybach or not really relevant at all.
To distinguish it from the AMG versions, the convertible top is fully equipped with Maybach logos.
Verdict
Based on AMG technology, this car knows how to deliver everything that Maybach stands for: luxury, comfort, high-quality finish, and refined use of materials. And that in an open two-seater.