The third Mercedes Maybach model premiered at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and it’s designed to the challenge the industry’s luxury heavyweights. Watch out Bentley and Rolls Royce.

In this era of mobility and alternative fuels, the new Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet seems like a dinosaur – and that’s what makes it unique and intriguing. It’s “old money” style is reminiscent of Merc’s golden age when the German car maker offered more exclusivity.

Under the hood lies the AMG-sourced, 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12, capable of delivering 630 PS (621 hp) and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque, making it the ultimate S-Class Cabriolet.

The new Maybach S650 pumps up the already luxurious S-Class cabriolet with little effort, adopting small but effective upgrades that include an array of Maybach badges, plush new seats, quad tailpipes, a newly-designed set of wheels, and an updated front bumper. The rest is pure Mercedes, but the car maker reckons that’s enough to make it a special limited edition model, with only 300 units slated for production – 75 of which will be reserved for the United States.

Although prices weren’t released for North America, in Europe the model will have a starting MSRP of around 300,000 euros ($321,900).

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