2027 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Keeps the V12 Alive

The elite-level S-Class continues to come in both V8 and V12 flavors.

Good news for folks who've spent their whole lives free of anything else: there's a new Maybach. Mercedes on Tuesday revealed the 2027 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, building off the brand's newly updated flagship sedan in exactly the way you'd expect: copious amounts of chrome, leather, and all the rest of the finest things in life.

Naturally the Maybach model uses the '27 S-Class styling updates as its basis, including the redesigned head- and taillights now featuring LED signatures mimicking the three-pointed star—there are even rose gold highlights within the headlights. Mercedes has said light is the new chrome and that's certainly the case here, with the now-even-larger grille lit up as well as the C-pillar Maybach badge, and the optional Mercedes logo standing atop the long hood. Don't worry, traditionalists: chrome is still chrome here too, with oodles of the stuff in the grille, the door pillars, and the intricate, 18-spoke alloy wheels. Don't forget the Maybach pattern in the lower air intakes.

If you like the latter but want more, Mercedes also showed off a more sinister two-tone treatment ("Night Package") with a light bronze layered atop deep black. This one shows off the optional seven-spoke wheels with the Maybach pattern filling in all the space between the wheels. Jeeves will surely hate having to clean these.

The cabin is chock-full of high-end materials, with a wraparound dashboard design that oozes class. Nappa leather is standard, with color schemes including Beech Brown, Lake Green, Corn Yellow (!), and Tobacco Brown. A new natural grain brown amber wood trim features a herringbone pattern as well. This being a Merc, ambient lighting is a major part of the interior experience, with no less than 199 LEDs and 64 selectable colors including Maybach-exclusive Rose Gold and Amethyst Glow.

The rear seats still look like the place to be, with ample space to stretch out after another company acquisition. Don't worry, the silver-plated Robbe & Berking champagne flutes are still on the options list, as is the fridge. Somewhat surprisingly, so are the power-operating rear doors; they're only standard on the S 680.

Of course, the myriad standard options—over 150 exterior paints, 400 interior colors—are merely a starting point. Mercedes' Manufaktur Made to Measure program allows Maybach buyers to go even further with custom stitching and material choices, ensuring that, at least in theory, no two Maybach S-Classes are alike.

Mercedes' latest MB.OS operating system is standard in the Maybach S-Class, running off a water-cooled supercomputer that the brand says has "substantial power reserves for future functions." That includes City Pro, which Mercedes says will offer door-to-door driving in a future update. The Superscreen spans most of the dashboard and encompasses three separate screens. A virtual assistant is standard, which Mercede says utilizes multiple AI agents.

Back-seat passengers also get their own 13.1-inch displays to handle various comfort features, and there are integrated cameras to allow for video conferencing.

As sure as the S-Class is to exist as the flagship of Merc's lineup, Maybach models will be a part of the lineup to satisfy the upper echelons. It feels unfair to call this latest version "safe" or "predictable," but the sort of well-heeled clientele that buys Maybach models is unlikely to want a radical rethink. This new version does what the ultimate S-Class has always done: showcased the absolute pinnacle of comfort and contentment from the world's oldest luxury marque. The V12 isn't even about power anymore: it's about the smoothness of the experience and yes, a bit of good ol' bragging rights.

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