S-Class (W222/C217/A217) [Official] Mercedes-Maybach S600 (X222)

[Wolfgang]

The best seat in the house

From the left: Mercedes-Maybach S600 and Nissan Murano

By Jill Ciminillo, Auto Matters Editor

I drive more than 100 cars in any given year. So, I sit in a lot of seats. Driver’s seats. Passenger’s seats. Back seats. Waaay back seats.

A lot of seats.

And some of them stink. But most, at best, are fine.

Recently, at the Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally, I drove or sat in more than 20 vehicles during a two-day period. And there was a lot of mediocrity in the seat department.

But there were two comfortable standouts –by a long shot: The Mercedes-Maybach S600 rear seat and the Nissan Murano driver’s seat.

2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600

The right rear seat of the all-new Maybach is one of those sinfully decadent treats that regular folk may never experience. But if you ever have the chance to talk your way into the backseat of this beautifully crafted vessel, it’s an experience to be savored.

The right rear seat can go into a steeply raked recline with a leg rest that supports the calves – and for taller passengers, there’s a foot rest that pops out from under the front passenger seat to keep your feet from dangling uncouthly from the edge of the leg rest. The Nappa leather seats are perfectly pillowed and fully support all body types. Even better, the rear seats come equipped with standard heated and massaging seats. There are six massage options from hot relaxing massages to activating massages. Yes, please, I’ll take them all. Need to get a little work done? The Rear Seat Package PLUS ($1,950) provides twin-folding tables for your laptop or tablet.

I probably spent a good half hour in the back seat of the Maybach while a few different drivers took the wheel and gushed over the 523-horsepower, V-12 bi-turbo engine. I’m sure it drove just fine, but in a car like this, I’ll sit in the back seat all day long.

Base price for the 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600 is $191,975 including the $925 destination fee and $1,700 Gas Guzzler Tax.

2015 Nissan Murano

Nissan completely redesigned the Murano for the 2015 model year. The interior and exterior get a major upgrade with up-level finishes and features, and even the base S model gets nice standard features such as Bluetooth connectivity, push-button start, keyless entry and dual-zone automatic climate control.

The model I stepped into had leather seats, which are standard starting at the SL trim ($37,835), and the driver’s seat was one of the best driver’s seats I’ve ever sat in. Based on “Zero Gravity” technology, the seats are designed to alleviate fatigue for drivers. And, boy, does it work. The seats are well proportioned and easily adjusted. Plus, I almost felt like I was ensconced in a pillow. The lower back support was phenomenal such that I could hardly tell where the seat bottom ended and the seat back started. After a long day on my feet, this was exactly the kind of support I needed.

The heated seats – which are standard at the SL trim – were also really well done. The heat was consistent from the thighs all the way up through the mid-back. While I only took a 20-minute drive in the new Murano, the comfort was so instantaneous and the relief was so immediate, I was loath to leave the driver’s seat. I can’t wait to get this car for a full-week test, and I believe I’ll take a road trip.

Base price for the 2015 Nissan Murano is $30,445, including the $885 destination fee.

http://sbg.keprtv.com/template/shar...icles/the-best-seat-in-the-house----877.shtml

 

[hannaz]

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[Wolfgang]

Brabus boosts the Mercedes-Maybach S600 to 900 PS
Has 6.3- instead of 6.0-liter engine
The already posh Mercedes-Maybach S600 has been finely tuned by Brabus.

The biggest news here is the reworked V12 engine of the model. The tuners have increased its displacement from 6.0 to 6.3 liters and have replaced the production turbochargers with turbos that have larger compressor units. After the conversion, the V12 unit produces a peak power of 900 PS (662 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 1,500 Nm (1,106 lb-ft) of torque at 4,200 rpm. The standard Mercedes-Maybach S600 offers 530 PS (390 kW).

Thanks to the improved engine, the car can now accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.7 seconds, despite weighing 2.8 tons. Top speed stands at more than 350 km/h (217 mph).

Visually, the vehicle comes with modified bumpers with integrated spoiler on the front and new diffuser at the back. Also installed are a set of 21-inch wheels.

The interior gets new leather seats and new wood and carbon-fiber inlays. Brabus has also equipped the luxury sedan with its iBusiness infotainment system that offers passengers “the latest generation of Apple computer technology for global communication and entertainment with the highest picture and sound quality.”

Source: Brabus via WCF

 

[SDNR]

Brabus boosts the Mercedes-Maybach S600 to 900 PS
Has 6.3- instead of 6.0-liter engine
The already posh Mercedes-Maybach S600 has been finely tuned by Brabus.

The biggest news here is the reworked V12 engine of the model. The tuners have increased its displacement from 6.0 to 6.3 liters and have replaced the production turbochargers with turbos that have larger compressor units. After the conversion, the V12 unit produces a peak power of 900 PS (662 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 1,500 Nm (1,106 lb-ft) of torque at 4,200 rpm. The standard Mercedes-Maybach S600 offers 530 PS (390 kW).

Thanks to the improved engine, the car can now accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.7 seconds, despite weighing 2.8 tons. Top speed stands at more than 350 km/h (217 mph).

Visually, the vehicle comes with modified bumpers with integrated spoiler on the front and new diffuser at the back. Also installed are a set of 21-inch wheels.

The interior gets new leather seats and new wood and carbon-fiber inlays. Brabus has also equipped the luxury sedan with its iBusiness infotainment system that offers passengers “the latest generation of Apple computer technology for global communication and entertainment with the highest picture and sound quality.”

Source: Brabus via WCF

Looks quite good.

0-100km/h in 3.7seconds ......Lol.

Wolfgang, when will we see an AMG-engineered version?

I know they said there will be no crossover between AMG and Maybach but the old 57/62 had the AMG engined 'S' models ......so I am expecting an AMG variant.

 

[Wolfgang]

^ Yes. Not sure yet when we might see 'S' models, perhaps in a few years like with the 57S/62S? The present engines in the Mercedes-Maybach are already engineered and built by AMG, though. Der_Landgraf showed in the Moby Dick S 600 video, even where to find the (smaller) AMG label, hidden under the cover. Turned out this particular one was an M277 built by AMG engine builder Michael Kübler together with an apprentice.

http://www.germancarforum.com/threads/mercedes-benz-whats-next.47554/page-31#post-746015

 

[Merc1]

The Brabus treatment works here. Now that is a really hot way to travel.

M

 

[Star&Car]

Some one close to car stuff said that a survey indicates that 60% of those S600 Maybach buyers in China are driving by themselves.

 

[Merc1]

How it is selling?

M

 

[Wolfgang]

^ In China MB currently sells about 500 Mercedes-Maybachs per month.

Source: Ola Kallenius / Frank Volk / Auto Produktion via twitter

 

[SDNR]

^ Yes. Not sure yet when we might see 'S' models, perhaps in a few years like with the 57S/62S? The present engines in the Mercedes-Maybach are already engineered and built by AMG, though. Der_Landgraf showed in the Moby Dick S 600 video, even where to find the (smaller) AMG label, hidden under the cover. Turned out this particular one was an M277 built by AMG engine builder Michael Kübler together with an apprentice.

http://www.germancarforum.com/threads/mercedes-benz-whats-next.47554/page-31#post-746015

Thanks again W.

That is interesting. What is the reason AMG engineer the Maybach?

Wasn't the old (standard version) Maybach 57/62 built on the same assembly line as the W221?

 

[SDNR]

Some one close to car stuff said that a survey indicates that 60% of those S600 Maybach buyers in China are driving by themselves.

Very interesting. We have been led to believe that China's new rich almost always have a driver ......so this must be changing.

 

[Wolfgang]

Thanks again W.

That is interesting. What is the reason AMG engineer the Maybach?

Wasn't the old (standard version) Maybach 57/62 built on the same assembly line as the W221?

You are welcome, SDNR. Yes, AMG is responsible to build the engines for the Mercedes-Maybach, not the vehicles themselves, which are built next to the 222 S-Class in Sindelfingen.

 

[SDNR]

AMG is responsible to build the engines for the Mercedes-Maybach

Why is that?

 

[Wolfgang]

^ Probably because it's a better fit at AMG than at the former factory in Berlin, which is concentrating in different areas, like Camtronic and V6 diesels. AMG engine builder Mike Kübler has an instagram account f1mike28 and sometimes writes about the Mercedes-Maybach engines he builds, and may also answer questions there.


http://instagram.com/f1mike28/

 

[Wolfgang]

How it is selling?

M

Bloomberg just published an article.

Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class automobile. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

Mercedes’s $230,000 Maybach Defies China’s Cooling Luxury Market
Mercedes-Benz is selling almost as many Maybach cars in China each month as it used to sell worldwide in a year, when it targeted the super-rich with a stand-alone model.

Chinese buyers are snapping up about 500 a month of the ultra-luxury variant of the Mercedes S-Class, which starts at about 1.44 million yuan ($230,000) in China. That compares to a peak of 600 Maybach cars in 2003, which at the time cost more than $350,000.

“Sales in China are developing very well,” Ola Kaellenius, sales chief for the Daimler AG unit, said on Wednesday.

Daimler revived Maybach as a Mercedes sub-brand this year to chase the wealthiest buyers, people who otherwise might have considered a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley. The Mercedes-Maybach adds legroom and opulent options such as hand-made silver-plated champagne goblets to the standard S-Class.

The effort appears to be working. Mercedes started selling Maybach in China in February as part of a push to catch up with BMW and Audi in the world’s largest auto market, which is suffering a slowdown.

Mercedes sales rose 20 percent last month, driven not just by Maybach but also by its compact cars and sport utility vehicles. Audi, the bestselling upscale car brand in the country, posted its first sales decline in the country in more than two years.

“We’re very optimistic that we can sustain the sales momentum,” Daimler Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche said on Wednesday at an event near Stuttgart, Germany.

‘Modern-Day Luminaries’
Zetsche needs strong growth in China to hit his goal of overtaking BMW and Audi in global sales by the end of the decade. China, the world’s biggest market for the S-Class, is also key for profit margins because of the high numbers of top-of-the-line vehicles sold there. Taxes and fees push up sticker prices, especially on imported vehicles like the Maybach.

Mercedes promotes the ultra-luxury nameplate in China as “the premier choice of China’s modern-day luminaries as they show their utmost respect to the world.”

The first effort to revive the 1930s-era marque started in 2002 and failed in part because the car was too similar to the S-Class, even though it won over customers like pop star Madonna. By 2011, when Daimler decided to phase out the brand, it was selling between 200 and 300 cars a year.

Source: Bloomberg

 

[Wunderkind]

I'd love a S500 Maybach with the turbo boost of the engine dialled up just a little to nudge it over 500bhp.

I'm told this is not hard at all.

 

[Wolfgang]

^ Yes. Vaeth offers such an upgrade among others, like Kleemann, Renntech and so on.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

all M-B V12 engines have been manufactured by AMG for some time now, even those V12's destined for non-AMG models, i.e. S600.

 

[Sovereign]

The Brabus treatment works here. Now that is a really hot way to travel.

M

Exterior wise yes, especially the front bumper with the strong horizontal line. Now that has transformed the slightly dull front end of the non AMG S class to a very sharp looking car. The standard bumper is a weak design and it just not works IMO. It requires a redesign by MB just as they did it with W140 facelift which improved that car tremendously in appearance.

Interior is not for my taste. Even the standard S class interior has better matching colors.

 

[Wolfgang]

2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600 review notes: Drivers needed, inquire within

Could the S600 be a steal at $200K?

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: The Maybach is fast (way faster than it has a right to be), rides like it’s on a cushion of air—in some ways it is—and has one of the more well-built interiors on the market (a given). In other words, it’s a V12 long-wheelbase S-class, lengthened 8 inches. I don’t know how many owners actually drive these themselves, but if they don’t, they’re missing out. It actually drives well.

In fact, I don’t know that I’ve been in a car at this price that’s as smooth and quiet as this. Wait, did I just imply the Maybach is a bargain? In some ways, yes. Compared to a Phantom or Mulsanne, it is, and the Benz is right with them both in terms of speed and smoothness. The ride feels near perfect to me, with potholes a non issue. Just cruise over ’em. And the torque! The car actually leaps off the line—all 5,200 pounds of it; and effortlessly too.

I haven’t been driven in it yet, but I plan to. According to the Benz site, there are champagne glasses. Of course there are. Gotta check that out. According to Autoweek, 60 percent of these are sold in China, 16 percent in Russia, and 10 percent in the United States—champagne glasses are indeed a must.

I did look around back there and it looks like a private jet interior with the little tables, comfy-looking buckets, footrests, pillows…In two days of driving I won’t come close to being able to experience all the toys. For now I can say that Benz says it’s even quieter back there than in the front.

The Burmester stereo is an absolute killer. I loved cruising through Eastern Market on the way to work blasting the Sirius Grateful Dead station. The fish mongers dug it.

I get $205K is a lot of jingle, but the way the car drives and the way it’s built, I’d argue it’s worth it.

ROAD TEST EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: “The speakers look like a work of art,” and “I feel like I need an invitation to get in.”

Those were just two of the comments from friends heard while driving the Maybach over the weekend. A picture of my wife lounging in the back seat got 100 likes on Facebook. People are generally amazed at this car, including my parents, who could barely figure out the all of the back seat functions.

From the outside, at least in profile, this Maybach just looks like a big, long Benz. You don’t see any logos until you get to the back. I’m sort of torn on that. I’d like the Maybach emblem in front, as opposed to the Mercedes one. Listen, if I’m paying double the price of an S-class, I’d like people to know about it. Besides the logo, it’s the length that will give it away. When it comes around a corner, it just keeps going and going and going and then finally the tail end comes around.

The startup of the V12 has to be the smoothest-sounding ignition sound in the business. It’s not loud, mind you, but restrained and expensive sounding. It’s the same when you throw a few revs at it, not loud, but smooth. If you have the doors closed, you can barely hear it.

The interior is about as upscale as you can get. It has heated and cooled seats with massaging function, which I used every time I drove it. It also has heated door panels to rest your arms on when it’s cold. The driver’s seat adjusts all ways, which means it’s easy to find a good driving position. The steering wheel feels good in the hands with a little bit of weight. It fattens up at the bottom, making it easy to rest a hand there.

Entertainment and navigation functions are easy with the joystick/jog dial, and I love how you can shuffle through the songs on your music player without actually playing each one. Just set it to shuffle and roll that dial.

There are a ton of cool little features like color changing ambient lights and an arm rest that opens on each side. I think my favorite trick pieces are the speakers that spin and screw in when you turn the car off.

Obviously the back seat is where you’d want to spend your time. There’s enough room back there for LeBron James to spread out and make himself at home. My dad, who is 6’1” or so, had plenty of room behind me, and there’s even more room on the passenger side where the front seat slides forward. Rear occupants get champagne flutes, a cooler, their own TV screens and the same seat comforts at the front passengers. I drove the wife around for an hour or so; she seemed to like it. The headphones are a nice touch, too, as are the first-class-airplane style pop-out work tables.

If you do have to drive, you get the massaging, heated and cooled seats, active lumbar support that hugs you around turns, radar cruise control, night vision, steering assistance and a complete customizable dash, thanks to the two LCD screens that take care of the infotainment functions.

It also has the Mercedes pre-safe brake system, which isn’t that exciting, until you need it. When it senses a car stopped or severely slowed in your lane, it pumps up the brake pressure so when you hit them, they’re rock solid and slowing begins immediately, it might not seem like a lot, but saving a split second at 70 mph is a big deal. It only happened to me once, when a car was pulling out into the lanes perpendicular to travel.

There’s a sport mode for both the engine and suspension. Putting them both in S firms things up nicely. I was cruising down a nice curvy stretch of road and the steering felt faster, the body didn’t roll as much and the transmission hung in gear a little longer. It’s a far cry from “sporty,” but it definitely makes driving more entertaining.

Am I the only one who thought the suspension could be softer? It’s truly cloudlike over the smaller imperfections and road dips, but I did hear it bang a few times over bigger, sharper potholes. Sometimes the car would shimmy to the left or right. It didn’t upset the cabin too much, but you could hear it. I was nervous about those rims, too. We received the car late, because someone else blew a tire. I went over a few potholes and thought I might lose another. That’s why I’d put taller tires on those rims. I like the look of the wheels, at least on this car, and I get that they look better with low-pro tires. But if Merc added an inch or so of sidewall, the ride would be that much softer.

I think you really need to have a chauffeur to own this car. There are a bunch of luxury rides out there that are almost as soft and luxurious, and more fun to drive. The Porsche Panamera comes to mind, or even one of the Alpina BMWs. But if you’re living in the back seat, and need to get some work done, or just take a nap, this Maybach is what you need.

Options: 20-inch exclusive Maybach forged wheels ($3,900), champagne flutes ($3,200), Executive Rear Seat Package PLUS ($1,950), refrigerator rear center console ($1,100), Designo silk beige/titanium gray pearl ($1,000), Splitview ($710)

Source: Autoweek