2026 Mercedes Maybach SL680 Monogram Series First Look: If It Works for Handbags ...
Has Mercedes made the right changes to Maybach-ize the newest SL-Class? We’re not sure.
MotorTrend’s editorial staff is not particularly fashion-conscious, and most of us can’t figure out why a couple dozen iterations of the initials “LV” on a handbag increase its value by 10,000 percent. Someone at Mercedes’ Maybach luxury division must understand, because that seems to be the approach the subbrand has taken with the Mercedes-Maybach SL-Class, the first two-seat Maybach convertible since the 20th-century unpleasantness in Europe.
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Wait, Are You Sure This Is a Maybach?
How could we not be? Maybach made several significant changes to the AMG SL-Class on which the Maybach SL680 is based, and we’ll endeavor to document them all, but upon close inspection the proliferation of logos is likely the first thing you’ll notice. The new grille is a forest of 3D Maybach logos. There are Maybach logos etched into the door panels, Maybach logos stitched into the fabric roof, and one Maybach logo on each of the seats and pedals. Wait, what’s that, Potential Buyer? You want more Maybach logos? OK, then! You can get a gaggle of them painted on the all-black hood, one of only three options offered on the 2025 Maybach SL.
No one can fail to notice this is the Maybach version of the Mercedes-Benz SL—unless perhaps they are driving it, because the steering wheel inexplicably bears not a Maybach logo but a giant Mercedes star. Still, there are enough repetitions of the Maybach logo that if Louis Vuitton were alive, he’d probably say, in beautifully French-accented English, “It’s enough already.”
Changes Beyond the Logos
Let’s run through the changes from front to back: The new 2025 Maybach SL680 gets a unique grille, a stand-up Mercedes hood ornament (not a Maybach logo? That seems like an oversight), and a chrome strip down the center of the hood. The windshield is framed in chrome, and while we are told this was an unintended consequence, under just-right conditions it reflects the sky and makes the windshield seem to disappear.
Shield your eyes, and let’s skip over the dazzling white interior for just a moment. While the Mercedes-AMG SL (up until now with this latest version of the car, all SL models have been AMG spec) is a 2+2, the Maybach version loses the vestigial rear seats for a small storage shelf of sorts. Except—and we swear we’re not making this up—Mercedes/Maybach can’t call it a storage shelf due to German regulations, which presumably would trigger all sorts of safety requirements.
Over the not-a-shelf is a plastic fairing that (try to contain your surprise) is etched with another couple hundred Maybach logos. Atop it—and, amazingly, bearing no Maybach logos—is a central glass panel that serves as a windbreak, eliminating the need for the AMG SL’s fussy folding windscreen. The fairing blends the transition from headrests to trunklid, which, like the rest of the sheetmetal, is unchanged from other SLs. It gives the Maybach SL a handsome profile, though many will note a resemblance to the Porsche 911 Targa. The new Maybach SL680 finishes with a unique rear fascia that de-emphasizes the exhaust pipes and diffuser, delineating the Maybach’s role as a cruiser rather than a racer.
Don your sunglasses, and let’s get back to that interior, which is done up in bright white leather with matching white carpets and floormats, presumably with the understanding that buyers rich enough to own a Maybach SL can afford a team of detailers to keep the cabin clean. The thick Nappa leather on the seats is real, though it is tanned with a sustainable process using coffee bean shells, and it features a handsome floral-ish pattern derived from—you guessed it—the Maybach logo. Control layout changes from other SLs are minimal, but the screens use Maybach-themed graphics with a background of … go on, guess. Surprisingly there is no wood trim, a hallmark of other Maybach models.
A Kinder, Gentler Mercedes SL?
Press the start button, and you engage the same powertrain as found in the AMG SL63, a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 rated for 577 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. The nine-speed automatic transmission, which uses a wet clutch in place of a torque converter, is also identical, but the all-wheel-drive system is retuned for less rear-axle bias. The 2025 Maybach SL680 weighs around 175 pounds more than the AMG SL63 due to its coming with every available option, and Mercedes estimates it will get to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds, half a second slower than the brand claims for the SL63 AMG. (In MotorTrend testing, the SL 63 was quicker than Mercedes’ estimate, making 60 in 3.1 seconds.)
Engineers adjusted the chassis to indeed make the new Maybach SL more of a cruiser than a racer. Its springs are softer, more so out back, since SL occupants sit closer to the rear axle. The shocks have a unique valving system that allows greater differentiation between Comfort and Sport modes. And the steering gear is all new, hardware as well as software. Together with camber changes, the steering system is (re)designed to relax the SL’s aggressive off-center response, which is great in sporty driving but can get annoying on a straight, gentle cruise.
How Much? If You Have to Ask …
Maybach will announce pricing closer to launch, which will come in the summer of 2025 for the U.S. and a few months earlier for the rest of the world. (Strange, that order; while Maybach has its strongest following in Asia, where buyers prefer to be chauffeured, the two-seat SL seems ideal for California and Florida, and Maybach could really use a sales boost in the U.S.) With the existing AMG SL63 starting at $188,150 and the Bentley Continental convertible priced well north of a quarter-mil before options, we’ll be amazed if the 2025 Maybach SL680’s price doesn’t begin with a two.
Mercedes will offer the Maybach SL680 with only three options: a choice of red or matte white paint, five-hole-disc wheels or the multi-spoke rims you see here (both 21 inches in diameter), and those Maybach logos painted on the hood. No other customization will be allowed, though the Maybach folks will consider a different paint color if a customer insists. Maybach likens its SL to a chef’s tasting menu, where the best elements have been curated for you. That said, the fact the SL680 is labeled as the Monogram Series leads us to believe that more customizable—or at least less curated—versions are on the way.
Our Take: Concerns About Comfort and Customization
Yes, we have some concerns. First, the regular SL is a relatively rough-riding car, even by AMG standards, so we hope this platform can be softened to the pillow-smooth ride Mercedes claims for the Maybach version. Also, the wet-clutch transmission is neither designed nor known for its smooth starts, and we’ve noticed a slight, un-luxurious move-off judder in other new SLs we’ve driven. As always, we reserve judgement until we have a chance to drive the new Maybach SL for ourselves.
We’re also skeptical of the “curated meal” approach: Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Porsche, and now even Lexus have had great success with customization, and Maybach has its own Manufaktur customization program for its sedan and SUV. Luxury, nowadays, is all about bespoke objects and experiences, and we imagine the über-rich might be put off by the prospect of someone showing up at the Beverly Hills Hotel valet with a Mercedes-Maybach SL680 identical to the one they just pulled up in. But then again, what do we know? We don’t even understand the appeal of a Louis Vuitton handbag.
After a two-decade career as a freelance writer, Aaron Gold joined MotorTrend’s sister publication Automobile in 2018 before moving to the MT staff in 2021. Aaron is a native New Yorker who now lives in Los Angeles with his spouse, too many pets, and a cantankerous 1983 GMC Suburban.
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