Mercedes-Maybach S 600 review, test drive

What's it like to drive?

You've never really cruised till you've wafted along in a S600. The experience is just sublime. And the S600's turbo damped V12 takes the word refined to the next level. Truly one of the great large capacity engines around, this motor is both whisper quiet and hugely responsive. To begin with, there's the way it starts up, with a smooth-as-oiled-silk VFFRRROOOOOM; only audible if you keep the windows rolled down. Then there's the unnatural hush; which is absolute, even with the air-con blower turned to zero. Yes you can hear a sporty growl past 4000rpm, but below that, just nothing. And when you rev it a bit, it smoothens up even more, so there's not even a hint of a buzz. It's so smooth you often forget the engine is running, especially on a noisy street. I once erroneously tried to lock the car from the outside; while the engine was still on!

Then there's the responsiveness; which is always there, like Big Brother, ready to step aside and release an avalanche as soon as you so much as touch the accelerator. So all you need to do, even if you want to only breeze past someone, is squeeze gently, and the Maybach just slingshots past, a big shot of boost served up to make the experience even more unforgettable. What really gets you, however, is the excess of power doled out; ask for 30, it gives you 60, you ask for 50, it gives you 100; and that just feels soooo good.

It's even brilliant when you want to accelerate. Squeeze down hard and the S600 rocks back slightly onto its rear wheels and then squashes your kidneys and lower back, with no letup until you are on the wrong side of 200kph. A bit of perspective; this 2.3 tonne car does 0-100 in five seconds; and I just love that hint of menace in the exhaust. What an engine. What a shame it is then that most S600 owners in India, who are normally reposed in the back, will never get to experience the magic.

Should I buy one?

From the outside, the Maybach is undoubtedly more understated than rivals from Bentley or Rolls-Royce, and there's no question, the S-class doesn't have the same snob appeal either. Clearly more special, both on the inside and the out, the new Maybach is also even more impressive than the already class-leading S500. Levels of space, comfort and technology are astounding and the S600 has probably what is one of the best luxury car V12 engines around. The whisper-quiet Mercedes-Maybach, is an even better, more luxurious version of the best car in the world. It really is as simple as that.

Mercedes India has introduced two models in the Maybach range, the fully-imported S 600 Maybach tested here is priced at Rs 2.6 crore while the locally-assembled S 500 Maybach powered by a V8 motor is priced at Rs 1.67 crore. (Prices ex-showroom, Pune).