In December last year, Mercedes-Maybach made waves with its Project Maybach concept, designed by famed fashion designer Virgil Abloh. Abloh passed away in November 2021 after being diagnosed with cardiac angiosarcoma in 2019. However, his heritage and expertise will forever live on with the new Mercedes-Maybach S680.
This vehicle is the culmination of the cooperation between Louis Vuitton’s artistic director and the luxury automotive brand from Germany. Unlike the Project Maybach, which was a show car with a very extravagant design and overall concept, the new Maybach designed by Virgil Abloh is a production model that will be sold in the United States. It is based on a 2023 Maybach S-Class S 680 with a planned production run of just 39 units for the American market.
Gallery: 2023 Mercedes-Maybach S680 by Virgil Abloh
For the appearance of the luxury saloon, the fashion guru partnered with Gorden Wagener, Mercedes-Benz Chief Design Officer, to outline the basic design concept. The vehicle was finalised in 2021, before Abloh’s untimely passing in November. The project is materialised by the customisation and craftsmanship team at Mercedes-Benz Manufaktur in Sindelfingen.
The exterior of the Maybach S-Class by Virgil Abloh features a unique two-tone colour scheme with a beige main colour and a contrasting black roof, bonnet, and pillars. The signature Maybach 20-inch wheels are also finished in the same beige hue and while that may seem like a weird idea, we have to admit the rims look absolutely gorgeous. This is the same colour combination as the one seen on the Project Maybach a few months ago.
Maybach S-Class: The alternatives
The interior follows the same colour scheme with fine beige leather for the seats, door panels, armrests, and the lower section of the dashboard. From the centre screen above, nearly everything is finished in black leather. Speaking of the display on the centre console, Mercedes-Maybach says it now runs a personalised user interface, which is a “more luxurious” variation of the MBUX system of the automaker.
As a reminder, the Maybach S680 is powered by a 6.0-litre V12 engine generating a peak output of 604 bhp (450 kilowatts). This power is enough for the luxury limo to reach 62 miles per hour (100 kilometres per hour) from a standstill in 4.5 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph (250 kph).
Source: Mercedes-Benz