As expected, owning a Maybach-badged Mercedes-Benz does not come cheap, with a €134,053.50 entry ticket in Germany for the S 500. Scheduled to arrive in European markets from February 2015, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class models are available to order as of now.

The 5,453mm long limousine is specifically designed to be chauffeur-driven and features a 200mm longer wheelbase (3,365mm) than the S-Class sedan with long wheelbase. Rear passengers benefit both from increased legroom and headroom, thanks to the higher roof line.

The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class comes equipped with a voice amplification system, which makes it easier to communicate with the rear passengers from the front. The two microphones in the interior mirror are also used to pick up speech for the hands-free telephone system. These signals are then amplified depending on the amount of driving noise and continuously adjusted for the speaker’s volume and the ambient noise level.

For the moment, the Mercedes-Maybach lineup includes two models, the S 500 and S 600. The 4.7-liter V8 biturbo engine in the Mercedes-Maybach S 500 produces 455PS (449hp) and 700Nm (516lb-ft), available from just 1,800 rpm. The big sedan has a combined fuel consumption of 8.9 l/100 km (26.4 mpg US), with CO2 emissions of 207 g/km.

The range-topping S 600 is powered by a 6.0-liter V12 biturbo engine producing 530PS (523hp) and 830Nm (612lb-ft) of torque, available from 1,900 rpm. The Mercedes-Maybach S 600 starts from €187,841.50 in Germany, including 19 percent VAT.

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