[redbaron91]

Admins please note, this is not an ownership report. So kindly move to appropriate section. Thank you.

It was the most anticipated & sensational weekend drive I ever had in my life. Living a day with a fully loaded Mercedes Benz Maybach S600.




Just for the records :-
Total distance covered :- 855Kms
Total time :- 10Hrs (Including stoppages and a visit to friend’s home)
Average fuel consumption :- ~7Km/l
Top speed clocked :- 255Kmph (actually its electronically limited)
Location :- Autobahn, Germany.


Heaven on Earth for any petrol head-The Autobahn, a legendary mystique. But reality is little different than the legend. It has speed limits, as low as 80Kmph, dynamic speed limits over long stretches, few diversions because of ongoing works, and traffic jams at times.



Coming to the machine, this sumptuous limo is not just a stretched S-class with a Maybach badge—it’s far more lavish than that of an “ordinary” S-Class. It provides effortless motivation to the driver to play around the geeky features inside the car, while the passengers can enjoy hot-stone massaging, leather recliners and much more. Believe me; it takes more than a day to fathom the tech savvy features it offers.

This is the situation where a car is not just a car, whose primary purpose is to mobilize people from point A to B. Some cars leave that basic idea far behind and go well beyond the thoughts of most people on the Earth. That’s what a Mercedes Maybach S600 is – astronomically priced, outrageous collection of luxuries that, any notion of it being “just a car” goes straight out of the window (which is double-glazed).

Touted as the world’s quietest car and with Burmester audio system with 24 speakers (seriously, I couldn’t spot all of that 24 speakers) the S600 is a rolling concert hall as well.




This rig looks as good as it sounds with laser cut metal grilles on its 23 speakers cabin speakers, which includes four motorized and illuminated tweeters that rotate into position when the system powers up and a unique and conspicuous ceiling mounted surround speaker pod that ensures that back seat passengers get the best possible listening experience. Here's the picture below for that;




And forget that new-car smell—the air-filtration system infuses the cabin with the Maybach’s own signature fragrance.


The best part on this car are the seats, the baby soft, perforated designo leather-made, reclinable (at a very comfortable angle), heated seats with hot stone massage options.



It's more like a swish living room and less like a car's interior.The car was equipped with the insanely comfortable rear-seat package that offers two cooled/heated bucket seats with the hot stone massage function.



Open the center armrest console, and you find cup holders that are heated and cooled, as well as two airliner-inspired foldaway aluminium tables.

One highlight inherited from S-class was the “Magic body control”, which reads the road ahead using the radio sensors on top of the wind shield and allows the suspension to react to major hits/bumps on the road ahead. I felt it doesn’t work always as it should, but when it does, the feeling of floating embraces your inner mind.

This car is packed with another geeky stuff named “Magic sky control”. This one works its magic on the large panoramic sun roof, for on-demand dimming of the sun roof glass panel. It uses the patented technology called SPD-smart glass. With the touch of a button, the tint of the glass instantly changes, and it goes dark. Also one can adjust the tint according to his/her wish.




The V12 powered drive sourced from AMG. The standard S-Class' turbo V-8 is replaced with a 6.0-liter biturbo V-12 engine during the transformation from Mercedes-Benz to Mercedes-Maybach. Output is stated at 523 horsepower however, it is mated to the same seven-speed automatic transmission that still sends the torque exclusively to the rear wheels.
The Maybach offers 2 ride modes-Comfort and sport. In the latter mode, this car lunges forwards with great intensity. Thanks to the mighty V12.



The front occupants are treated equally well with the 2 big displays on dashboard.
One is used to display the instrument cluster and other displays infotainment, navigation, and other data.


A close-up shot of the display in front of the driver. Note the cruise control speed set at just above 85Kmph, since we were moving through a long tunnel and the tacho reading just over 1000 rpm.
Steering assist was switched on initially, and it was signalling to take back the control.

One unique feature here in Maybach is, the driver and the passenger can share that center screen, thanks to "SplitView" technology that uses a lenticular lens and an interlaced surface to display two different images on the same screen from two different viewing angles.


Like Breitling for Bentley, its IWC (International Watch Company) for Maybach cars.


Seamlessly integerated dashboard and the door side pads.



The Command infotainment system is controlled by Mercedes-Benz's new Touchpad controller that builds on the standard Comand physical control knob with a glossy black touchpad that floats just above it. One can either twist and push the knob to move around the interface or swipe and tap on the touchpad. On the address entry screen, the touchpad can also be used to scrawl letters for handwriting recognition. Personally I felt the positioning for the touch pad and dial bit awkward as it was little cumbersome to operate it with ease.


Guess the Benz family were upset about the loss of the Benz name from AMGs and Maybachs. Maybe this is just to placate them.


The information label found behind the fuel lid. The fuel used during the trip was Shell V-Power.


Fiber optics and numerous LEDs creates an ambiance to suite any moods. There are seven selectable colors with adjustable brightness.



I found the red and blue theme most soothing for me.



The magic figures. High speeds are attained with ease, thanks to the massive V12 under the hood. But one thing I noted particularly was, under hard acceleration in sports mode, engine noise creeps into the cabin.
As I said, only during hard acceleration & spirited drives. Otherwise under standard driving conditions,it lives upto its billing-"The world's quietest IC engine car"


At more than 5m long, it was never a daunting task to park this car. Thanks to 360 degree camera view and sensors which helps to do it with ease.




Steering wheel made out of combination of wood and leather, with standard power assisted telescopic and tilt adjustment. Aluminium finished buttons offer soft touches and helps in navigating through several options available on the screen in front of the driver.

The HUD;


Credits :- My German colleague who invited me for this weekend drive.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Test-Drive Section. Thanks for sharing!

[anshumandun]

Wow, must be an awesome experience.

Originally Posted by redbaron91

Steering assist was switched on initially, and it was signalling to take back the control.

What does the steering assist do? Does it allow you to take your hands off the steering and steers the car itself? Why is it asking you to take the control back and what if you do not?

[Tanveer_2558]

Amazing experience for sure, Its stunning how every time i read about car's of such segments, There are always new features to explore, For instance i did not know about the magic sky control, Thats some really cool stuff!

[The Brutailer]

Wow! Not just the best car in the world, it redefines what a car is expected to do in future.

1 question : I'm sure it has many more features than the Rolls-Royce. But is it more or as comfortable? Is it the better car?

[redbaron91]

Originally Posted by anshumandun

Wow, must be an awesome experience.



What does the steering assist do? Does it allow you to take your hands off the steering and steers the car itself? Why is it asking you to take the control back and what if you do not?

Steering assist is a part of feature named "DISTRONIC PLUS". It’s a radar based cruise control system, which can adapt to the on-going traffic ahead of you. The steering assist helps the driver to keep the car centered in between the lanes.

But this won’t help in auto steering the car on freeways as seen in autonomous cars. It is not a substitute for active driving involvement.
The signal was shown since the vehicle was drifted out of lane, and it centered back automatically, thus warning the driver to be attentive and take back the control properly.

In worst case, when the car is drifted away heavily, and situation demands heavier braking than DISTRONIC PLUS is able to perform, the driver is warned by visual and acoustic signals.
It also engages PRE SAFE systems (tightens the front seat belts, adjusts the front head restraints and passenger seat ) which can sense a collision might be imminent.

Originally Posted by Tanveer_2558

Amazing experience for sure, Its stunning how every time i read about car's of such segments, There are always new features to explore, For instance i did not know about the magic sky control, Thats some really cool stuff!

As the name says, it's really a magical stuff. Helps a lot under hot sunny days, and this can block much more sunlight/UV rays than any normal tinted glasses.
You can read more about its working here ;
http://www.smartglass.com

[redbaron91]

Originally Posted by The Brutailer

Wow! Not just the best car in the world, it redefines what a car is expected to do in future.

1 question : I'm sure it has many more features than the Rolls-Royce. But is it more or as comfortable? Is it the better car?

Both are lavishly equipped ultra-luxury chariots. But it may differ dramatically in ambience & appeal to each person. One more car which can be added to this list is Bentley flying spur W12.

In my opinion and as per several reviews, Bentley flying spur is an old school luxury car with classic interiors and high performance chassis & drive train. The Maybach is a sophisticated package, better to call The technology Bible. And RR Ghost S2 is a self status symbol with dynamic talents of hand crafted engineering.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by redbaron91

Both are lavishly equipped ultra-luxury chariots. But it may differ dramatically in ambience & appeal to each person. One more car which can be added to this list is Bentley flying spur W12.

In my opinion and as per several reviews, Bentley flying spur is an old school luxury car with classic interiors and high performance chassis & drive train. The Maybach is a sophisticated package, better to call The technology Bible. And RR Ghost S2 is a self status symbol with dynamic talents of hand crafted engineering.

I totally agree with you. Here was my comparo from the Geneva show of the two here

[redbaron91]

Originally Posted by ajmat

I totally agree with you. Here was my comparo from the Geneva show of the two here

Wow!! Lucky you.

Few things that makes Maybach a level above RR & Bentleys are its rear seats & Burmester system.
I personally love classy looks with techy stuffs inside-out of a car.
Something like Koenigsegg & Pagani. Wish Maybach add few more classy touches to its interiors and cockpit. Just my view.

[naturaldisaster]

Awesome stuff! Lucky fellow. What i would have wanted to expereince the most was the Burmester sound system. Had seen the video by Burmester on how they had designed the stuff and how they install it. Fascinating.

[quickdraw]

Definitely the pinnacle of a luxury automobile this!

I had a question about the Autobahs maybe you might be able to answer, I noticed that there were stretches when there were no speed limit signs, and everyone was gunning it and I made sure I was never the fastest one in traffic to keep safe (A old uncle passed me in his 15-20 year old Porsche when I was doing 140km/h)

How does one accurately judge the speed limit on Autobahs, also whats the safe margin. I always make sure I was not doing over +10km/h from the speed limit. I just love driving in Germany, 1000km/day is cakewalk!

[redbaron91]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

Definitely the pinnacle of a luxury automobile this!

I had a question about the Autobahs maybe you might be able to answer, I noticed that there were stretches when there were no speed limit signs, and everyone was gunning it and I made sure I was never the fastest one in traffic to keep safe (A old uncle passed me in his 15-20 year old Porsche when I was doing 140km/h)

How does one accurately judge the speed limit on Autobahs, also whats the safe margin. I always make sure I was not doing over +10km/h from the speed limit. I just love driving in Germany, 1000km/day is cakewalk!

I’m also not sure about any specific stretches in Autobahn without any speed limit. Mostly I found they follow “Dynamic speed limits”. Specific speed limits will be electronically displayed, or there will be an electronic sign signaling “End of speed limits” displayed. This depends on density of traffic, weather conditions, on-going works etc.

One has to observe keenly even when you are driving in such a good freeways, so that not to end up paying huge penalties for over speeding.

Since I was not caught for over speeding, I don’t know really about what is the tolerance of speed limits before you get penalized. During my drives, I used to come down to the specific speed limit ASAP, without any panic braking or abrupt slow down. And thanks to cruise control which helped in maintaining the speed over long stretches.

[AMG_ang]

Originally Posted by redbaron91

I’m also not sure about any specific stretches in Autobahn without any speed limit. Mostly I found they follow “Dynamic speed limits”. Specific speed limits will be electronically displayed, or there will be an electronic sign signaling “End of speed limits” displayed. This depends on density of traffic, weather conditions, on-going works etc.

One has to observe keenly even when you are driving in such a good freeways, so that not to end up paying huge penalties for over speeding.

Since I was not caught for over speeding, I don’t know really about what is the tolerance of speed limits before you get penalized. During my drives, I used to come down to the specific speed limit ASAP, without any panic braking or abrupt slow down. And thanks to cruise control which helped in maintaining the speed over long stretches.

The usual stretch in Autobahn's where there is no speed limits are when you drive from Stuttgart to Hamburg/Berlin. The dynamic limits come in mainly because of the weather.

The thumb rule for safe speeds is +10% above the specified speed limits. Usually the indicated speed in all our vehicles is less than the true speed and this is apprx varies by 5% - 8% depending on OEM's.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by anshumandun

What does the steering assist do? Does it allow you to take your hands off the steering and steers the car itself? Why is it asking you to take the control back and what if you do not?

It also allows you to switch lanes. Once you enable distronic, you can change lanes by triggering the lane change indicator, ie giving a small push to the indicator left or right. Distronic along with BSMP will decide if its ideal for a lane change and will switch lanes for you. In case you had set a higher speed and the vehicle was at reduced speed all the while due to a vehicle ahead, turning the indicator stalk will make it change lanes, and if the lane is clear, you will experience brutal acceleration and the car attains the set speed within no time.
This feature is together called the highway pilot or Auto-bahn Chaffeur(ABC). You have to grab the steering once in a while to let the car know you are alert. In the new E class, it has a touch sensitive steering wheel button which can be slightly tapped once in a while to keep the ABC running

[anshumandun]

Originally Posted by audioholic

This feature is together called the highway pilot or Auto-bahn Chaffeur(ABC). You have to grab the steering once in a while to let the car know you are alert. In the new E class, it has a touch sensitive steering wheel button which can be slightly tapped once in a while to keep the ABC running

This sounds ultra cool. Does the E class sold in India also get this feature? I am just unable to imagine this feature being used on Indian highways.

In India, they will have to customize the highway pilot to start changing lanes even if there is a vehicle in the adjacent lane. The car should then measure the intensity of the horn from the other vehicle and decide if it should still keep drifting to the other lane. If the car hears a human voice with high stress level from the other vehicle, it should automatically lower the driver's window glass so that expletives can be exchanged with ease. Finally the car should change lane no matter what!

Maybe I've gone too far with my imagination but that's how it is India right now. Many more years before such features become useful in India. I'm glad that we are actually able to use cruise control now on some highways which I think was not possible a decade back.