2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL680 Tested: Logos à Go-Go
Well, I must admit that when I first saw the official picture of this 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL680, my first reaction was-did the designer use the "Maybach" letter sticker as a mobile phone wallpaper and then directly put it on the car? I'm not kidding, the Logo density on this car body is even more ridiculous than the logo wall of the most pompous Internet celebrity coffee shop downstairs. But after getting in the car and driving for two laps... well, the warning came.
Appearance: The carnival of chrome plating and letters, my eyes almost blinded
Standing next to this car, you can't help but squint your eyes-not because of the sun, but because of the overwhelming chrome and glowing Maybach logo. The front grille is ancestral level vertical chrome strips, each of which shouts to you: "I'm worth a small apartment!" The through-going chrome trim strip on the side was actually embedded with the word "Maybach" three times-one on the side, the fender, and the door panel. There is also the three-dimensional double M sign that can be lit up. When it goes out at night, it feels like the whole street is paying attention to it. To be honest, this design is a bit shameless, but it's also damn classy-it's like wearing a T-shirt covered in Gucci Logo to a nightclub. It's a bit corny, but the rate of turning heads is 200%.
Interior: First class leather, but the central control panel still wants to complain
Pulling the car door open, the aroma of top-notch leather goods rushed straight into the nasal cavity-the Nappa leather you chose felt like baby skin (well, I haven't touched baby skin, but it should be the same). The diamond-shaped plaid on the seat and rose gold stitching suggest that it is for those who have a yacht at home. However, the huge vertical screen on the central control is still the MBUX system of Mercedes-Benz. Although the smoothness is fine, the operating logic still makes people want to curse-if you want to adjust a seat for massage, you have to poke the menu three times. Back row? Don't think about it, this car only has two seats, and the so-called "back space" is for you to put your Hermes bag. By the way, the woven canopy on the roof actually reveals a layer of padding with the Maybach Logo when it is folded-even covering up the ugliness so high-profile, I'm impressed.
Power: The V8 is still the same V8, but it's a little split when you step on the accelerator
The SL680 is equipped with the classic 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, with a maximum horsepower of 585 horsepower and a peak torque of 800 Nm. The data is beautiful, how about opening it? It's as comfortable as doing Tai Chi on a flying carpet. The nine-speed gearbox shifts smoothly so that you won't feel it's working, but when you suddenly step on the accelerator deeply, it will push you hard again-and then the exhaust sound you hear is carefully optimized by the Maybach tuner, low, restrained, and a little stuffy. Don't expect to blow up the street like the AMG SL63. That's not in line with Maybach's tone. This car prefers to let you glide gracefully across a street corner rather than roaring towards the next traffic light. The acceleration of 0-96km/h is about 3.6 seconds, which is fast enough, but you feel like it is slowly exuding charm rather than kicking you away.
Driving experience: A floating magic carpet, but don't expect it to play control with you
The chassis adjustment is completely comfortable, and the air suspension is as soft as chewing a marshmallow. When you cross the speed bump, you can even feel hanging smiling at you: "It's okay, baby, I'll carry it." The steering feel is so light that you can use only two fingers to drive the steering wheel. Road feeling? non-existent. You have no idea what the front wheel is doing, it just wants you to drink coffee comfortably and chat. So if you're a driving enthusiast who pursues control, the SL680 may make you flip the steering wheel-the car doesn't want to communicate with you at all, it just wants to transport you and your passengers (and all your logos) to your destination safely and with dignity. But to be honest, when you are sitting in the car, listening to your own Voice of Berlin stereo and blowing on the air conditioner, who would want to compete with the road?
Price: You can't afford it, but your friends will ask,"How much is this car?"
Okay, here comes the cruelest part. The starting price of the SL680 is about $250,000 (approximately RMB 1.8 million), not counting the sparkling metallic paint, exclusive wheels, custom leather goods, and even the glowing logo you choose (yes, the glowing logo costs extra). Choose the top match and easily break 300,000. Spend so much money on a convertible that has two seats and makes it difficult to put two sets of golf equipment in the trunk? Is it worth it? If you are asking this question, it means you are not the target customer. Maybach owners never consider whether they are "worth it", they only consider "whether it is shining enough". And this SL680 is undoubtedly the brightest one in your circle of friends-if you don't feel bad about it being labeled as a "upstart car". Anyway, I've been driving all afternoon, and I've already received thumbs up from five passers-by, two rich women winking eyes, and a car wash boy asking if he could take a photo. Is that enough? Enough.
Summary: If you drive it on, you will feel that the world's logos are circling around you
The 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL680 is an extremely contradictory car-it has top-notch materials and a leisurely driving texture, and a Logo that is so exaggerated that people want to cover their faces. It is imperfect, and it can even be said to be quite "tacky" in some places. But if you are willing to put down those hypocritical masks of "low-key luxury" and enjoy this pure, direct and undisguised pleasure of showing off wealth, then the SL680 will definitely provide you with emotional value that other cars cannot. Driving this car out, you are not driving, you are conducting a road show for your personal brand. Logo à Go-Go is worthy of its reputation.