Most of us can agree that all luxury sedans (and not only) look best in black. From there on, it's subjective whether the typical chrome detailing and perhaps a new set of wheels would boost the appeal. However, occasionally, we tend to fall for a ride that steps outside the box.
Don't know what we are talking about? That would be one particular Mercedes-Maybach S 680 that we wrote about late last year. The luxury sedan features a silver finish, a black roof, and a set of aftermarket wheels, and for what it's worth, we still like that design.
Speaking of which, we just came across another Mercedes-Maybach S-Class in a similar specification. This one is presented in gray, has only a few metal accents on specific components, like the lower profile trim, features privacy windows, and rides on a set of custom wheels with a multi-spoke design that were wrapped in thin rubber.
Why thin rubber? Because the new AG wheels are quite large. They measure 22 inches in diameter, and since chopping the arches was not an option (thank God for that!), they needed rubber band tires. The interior is stock, from what we can tell, and sports black leather upholstery, high-end trim, a cooler, ambient lighting, sunroof, and many other gizmos expected from such a ride.
Photo: Instagram | champion_motoring
If you cannot tell, you are looking at the 580 variant of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. Thus, it doesn't pack a V12 motor but a V8 with twin turbos and a 4.0L displacement. The engine develops 516 pound-foot (700 Nm) of torque and 496 horsepower (503 ps/370 kW). It won't break any speed records but won't make a fool of itself either, as the 0-60 mph (97 kph) acceleration is a 4.7-second affair.
The 2023 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 used to start at $193,400, excluding destination, and for the 2024 model year, this car is available from $198,300. Its punchier sibling, the Mercedes-Maybach S 680, will set you back at least $234,300 in the United States, up from $229,000 for the 2024 model year. This one uses a V12 with dual turbos and a 6.0-liter displacement, making 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of thrust and 621 hp (630 ps/436 kW), and is two-tenths quicker to sixty miles per hour.
Champion Motoring shared images of this S 580 on its social media recently, and unfortunately, they do not do justice to this tweaked example, which would've looked better under natural light. We also think it would've been a better-looking proposal if it rocked the same alloys as the S 680 we wrote about above, but we've also seen worse alloys equipping other Maybachs. So, do you think it looks better dressed like this or in black?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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