Mercedes-Maybach S680 S-Class Quietly Revealed With V12 Engine

The absolute flagship makes a discreet entry.

By: Adrian Padeanu

Updated: May 17, 2021 at 6:04pm ET

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Update: Mercedes-Maybach has officially issued a press release revealing details of the new S680 for the US market. We have that information featured below in our debut article.

The Mercedes-AMG S65 might be dead, but one-percenters mustn't fret as its V12 will live on in the ultra-posh Maybach version. The Bentley W12-rivaling sedan was originally announced last year in the lead-up to the world premiere of the normal Benz S-Class, and following a teaser last month, the twelve-cylinder luxury cocoon is finally here.

Oddly enough, the car is making a rather quiet appearance on Daimler's media site as the adjacent official images were not immediately accompanied by a press release. The extra-long luxobarge adopts the same stylish two-tone paint and an abundance of chrome as the V8 model unveiled in November 2020, but with more elegant multi-spoke wheels.

Gallery: 2022 Mercedes-Maybach S680

With a Maybach announcement now in our hands, here's what you need to know. The major upgrade for the S680 is obviously the twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter engine V12, which develops 621 horsepower (463 kilowatts) and a stout 738 pound-feet (1,000 Newton-meters) of torque. If that sounds familiar, it should. The mill is a straight carryover from the previous-generation Maybach S650, though output is higher in the US than what we previously uncovered from Merc’s Russian S680 configurator. The power is enough to propel the sizable luxury sedan to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, though top speed is electronically limited to 130 mph.

For the first time with the range-topping V12, power is routed to all four wheels through Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. In the S680, 69 percent of the power goes to the rear wheels with the remaining dished to the front, handled by a nine-speed automatic transmission. As with the S580, the V12 flagship features rear steering to help its 18-foot length maneuver in tight quarters.

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Visually speaking, look closer and you will notice a couple of subtle changes compared to the standard Maybach S-Class. "V12" badges adorn the front fenders and there's an "S680" logo on the trunk lid. Some will be surprised to hear that model designation has been used before as the Maybach S650 model was sold in China with the S680 badge following the previous generation's facelift in 2017.

Mercedes isn’t ready to reveal everything about the new S680 for US buyers just yet. Vehicle weight and fuel economy are still forthcoming, though we doubt buyers at this level of opulence are concerned with such things. They will be interested in the price, which is also something that hasn’t been officially revealed. We expect to hear more closer to the S680’s on-sale date in the US, which is slated for the first half of 2022.

Source: Daimler