The 2027 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class sedan arrived last month as the newest expression of the brand’s modern formula, and on paper, it delivers exactly what the current ultra-luxury market expects. It rides on the latest S-Class architecture, introduced for the 2027 model year, a car that we had the chance to experience in a first ride preview back in January.
The new Maybach brings the familiar mix of two-tone exterior finishes with pinstriping, executive rear seating, and a cabin defined by digital interfaces. It also introduces meaningful updates, including MB.Drive Assist Pro, an AI-supported virtual assistant, and an expanded MBUX Superscreen layout with a 12.3-inch driver display, 14.1-inch central display, and 12.3-inch passenger display.
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But the more interesting discussion is not what the new car adds. It is what Maybach has gradually left behind. Because if you look back at Maybach’s standalone era, the difference was not subtle.
The 2007 Maybach 57 and 62, along with the later 57S and 62S, belonged to the W240 and V240 generation produced from 2002 to 2012. Those cars may have drawn from Mercedes-Benz engineering, but they were far more than dressed-up S-Classes. They were developed as a distinct flagship family with their own proportions, packaging, and sense of occasion. Even next to the W221 S-Class of the same era, the separation was obvious. The Maybach sat in a different world, both visually and functionally.
The Maybach 57 measured roughly 224.6 inches long, while the 62 stretched to around 242.7 inches. The 62 was not just a longer sedan. It was designed around rear-compartment use in a way few modern sedans even attempt. Rear doors could open to nearly 90 degrees, a detail that sounds small until you understand the purpose. It made ingress and egress easier in formalwear, whether that meant a tailored suit, a long coat, or an evening gown.
Inside, the W240 generation also delivered features that today’s cars rarely attempt because they feel too formal, too expensive, or simply out of step with current design priorities. A physical divider between the driver and rear passenger compartments was available, reinforcing the idea that this was not merely a luxury sedan but a proper chauffeured automobile. That divider changed the experience in the cabin as it created separation, privacy, and a level of spatial hierarchy that even today’s most advanced executive sedans attempt to simulate through glass, screens, and ambient lighting. And then there was the Landaulet.
First unveiled as a concept in 2007 at the Middle East Motoshow in Dubai, when Maybach introduced the Landaulet in 2008, it did far more than add another niche variant. It revived a body style deeply tied to the three-pointed star’s history, one that traces its lineage back to Mercedes luxury cars of the 1930s. The formula remained just as deliberate decades later: a fully enclosed driver compartment paired with an openable rear roof section for the passengers. On the Maybach Landaulet, that meant rear-seat occupants could travel in open air while retaining the structure and format of a chauffeur-driven flagship. Only 22 examples were ever built.
Engineers reinforced the side structure with high-strength steel to maintain rigidity. At the same time, the rear compartment was reworked for open-top use with larger head restraints to reduce turbulence and an automatic wind deflector that deployed at speeds above 43 mph. An intercom system allowed communication between the rear passengers and the driver, maintaining separation without compromising usability. Having featured in music videos and movies, these cars were a celebrity favorite back in the day, and continue to stay relevant today, as seen in our recent feature-exclusive with DJ Khaled, who still owns his Maybach 62S Landaulet, part of his multi-million dollar luxury collection.
Power comes from a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 developed in collaboration with AMG, producing 612 hp and 737 pound-feet of torque, figures that placed it among the most capable luxury sedans of its time. Even today, Maybach continues to offer a V12 in select flagship models, a detail that quietly reinforces its position at the top of the Mercedes-Benz hierarchy. That context makes the current direction more interesting.
The current Maybach is undeniably polished, but it is also closely tied to the design and greenhouse of the current S-Class. In today’s market, where the Rolls-Royce Ghost, Bentley Flying Spur, and Cadillac Celestiq each present a clearly defined identity, with their own set of distinctive, signature features, Maybach, too, could offer something standalone. The Ghost offers rear-hinged coach doors, on the Bentley, a rotating central panel on the dash that alternates between the screen, three analog dials, and a seamless wood veneer, while the Cadillac features a four-quadrant smart glass roof that creates individualized lighting zones in the cabin.
The German brand has the engineering depth, historical precedent, and brand equity to push further. Instead, much of the differentiation today leans toward expanded digital interfaces and increased use of brand motifs across exterior and interior surfaces, as seen on the likes of the SL 680 Monogram Series Roadster. Those elements enhance presence, but they also highlight a missed opportunity. While Maybach has the ability to create some highly unique configurations, as seen in the recent Le-Bron James' 1-of-2 S680, the storied German marque has the foundation to go beyond screens and visual identifiers, and toward more fundamental distinctions in form, proportion, and body style.
That is exactly why revisiting ideas like the Landaulet, or developing a more clearly separated ultra-long-wheelbase flagship, remains relevant. Maybach has already demonstrated a willingness to explore unconventional formats, as seen with the Exelero, Xenatec Coupes in the 2000s, and, more recently, with high-riding variants based on the GLS 600, EQS SUV, and the G650 Landaulet. We, in fact, have a G650 Landaulet currently up for auction on duPont REGISTRY Live. But a stately sedan remains the brand’s most authentic canvas. That is where the heritage is strongest and where the W240 generation established its identity.
If Mercedes-Maybach wants to create real separation again, it should not stop at trim, power, or rear-seat screens. It should bring back the kind of body style and packaging that once made a Maybach impossible to confuse with anything else on the road.
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Images: Mercedes-Benz Maybach
