2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL First Drive: It's a Vibe

• The Maybach SL 680 builds upon the standard Mercedes-AMG SL but adds opulent design touches inside and out. 
• The Maybach is more comfortable than other SLs but not as engaging to drive.
• Pricing will likely start somewhere between $250,000 and $300,000 when it arrives in the U.S. later this year.

For Merc's SL roadster, the Maybach zhuzhing starts with a few design tweaks to the front and rear fascias, plus a smattering of Maybach logos in the lower grille, on the folding soft top and even painted into the multilayer black hood. I've heard the look described as everything from appealing to appalling; it's like a Louis Vuitton purse.

For the moment, two colorways are available — Red Ambience and White Ambience — though Maybach will soon expand the SL's palette to include some 50 hues from Mercedes' Manufaktur personalization department. Right now, all you have to choose is whether or not you want those Maybach logos in the black hood, and if you want to stick with the standard multispoke wheels (you don't) or swap 'em out for big, chunky chrome monoblocks (the correct spec).

Every Maybach SL, regardless of exterior color, comes with a white interior so crisp and bright it'll make your dentist proud. Do make sure you wipe off your shoes before they touch the plush white carpeting, and maybe don't wear overdyed denim if you're particularly prone to butt sweat on hot days. Unique quilted stitching adorns the seats, which have more padding and support than the standard SL's. Nestled behind you, there's a sculpted panel that goes over the SL's rear seat compartment, creating a nice cubby for your belongings, which will definitely be tossed around should you decide to attack corners with gusto.

This car's full name is Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series. And while it would have been super freakin' cool for Mercedes to give this roadster the same V12 engine as the S 680 sedan, I'm reminded that alphanumeric designations are meaningless these days, and taking them too literally only results in heartbreak. Sigh. Nevertheless, the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 shared with the SL 55 and SL 63 is a peach, producing 577 horsepower and 590 lb-ft in the SL 680. Combined with all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission, Maybach's roadster will sprint to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds, nearly matching the time of the SL 63.

The fabric soft top is power-operated and takes a fraction of a minute to complete its task. You can put the top up or down while driving at speeds up to 37 mph — a useful feature should you encounter a sudden summer shower. With the roof down, you can hear the V8 engine fire up and settle into a muffled purr, and it'll stay relatively muted unless you select the Sport driving mode, which opens the exhaust flaps up by an additional 40%.

Sport mode tightens the steering ratio, resulting in quicker responses to inputs while not having to turn the wheel quite as far. It also stiffens the electronically controlled dampers, giving the SL 680 a firm ride more like that of an SL 55 or SL 63. Driven like this, the SL performs admirably, with the suspension keeping the body stable and the electronic rear differential distributing power between the wheels for more proficient, sure-footed cornering.

The Maybach is more softly tuned than other SLs by default, and you'll notice this while driving in the standard Comfort mode; the experience is downright serene. Select Maybach mode — the logo is "C" with a diamond — and things get even more plush. But at the same time, the SL becomes significantly less responsive. Mercedes' engineers said they intentionally built in a delay to the steering and throttle response in Maybach mode and reprogrammed the transmission to make it less eager to downshift. I get it; this car is a cruiser. But even so, slushy, vague steering and a lazy gearbox aren't things typically associated with Mercedes-Benz products — even other Maybachs.

Every Maybach SL comes fully loaded with all the tech features you could ever want, including augmented reality overlays for the navigation system, full-speed adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning — the list goes on. There's even a hydraulic front-axle lift function like the one you'll find on a Chevy Corvette, where the SL's nose will raise by 1.2 inches to prevent you from scraping on speed bumps or driveways, and you can tell the car to remember the GPS location so it'll automatically get on its tippy toes should you drive back to the same place.

The only feature the Maybach SL is missing? Automatic soft-closing doors. Considering this car will likely cost somewhere between $250,000 and $300,000 when it arrives in the U.S. later this year, I don't think I'm asking for too much.

The Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 will cost more than twice the price of a base SL 43 roadster, $100K more than a V8-powered SL 55, and some $60,000 more than the SL 63. Heck, it'll even have a $50,000-ish premium over the plug-in-hybrid SL 63 S E Performance.

Is it different enough from the standard SL to be worth the added cost? I'm not so sure. But maybe the better question is, will prospective Maybach SL buyers even care? After all, Maybach isn't just selling a car; it's selling a luxury experience. And if money's no object, well, there are certainly worse ways to stand out.