2017 Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet Review: First Impressions
CARS.COM — As with all things excess, if you want something just a little bit more special, all it costs is money. Mercedes-Benz has decided that the top-of-the-line Mercedes-AMG S65 cabriolet isn’t quite special enough for well-heeled customers who want something even more exclusive. For them, the automaker has turned to its Maybach luxury division, currently providing the super-lux treatment to the S-Class sedan, to create the ultimate in luxury convertibles.
The 2017 Mercedes-Maybach S650 cabriolet that debuted at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show is striking in person, just as long, low and hulking as the lesser S550 and S63 cabriolets that share its body and systems. A lot more chrome has been added to the Maybach, however, with a gaping, shiny maw that actually doesn’t do much for the overall aesthetics of the car. It looks tacked on, a strangely garish bit of bright work on the lower bumper that doesn’t look natural.
The rest of the chrome down the car’s sides and the revised hard tonneau cover are better executed, and the Maybach badges on the front fenders look classy. The entire look is dominated by the massive 20-inch turbine wheels and low-profile tires, which fill the wheel wells so fully that you’ll worry about fender clearance. They definitely convey the Maybach theme of excess.
Inside, the changes are harder to notice because the basic S550 cabrio is already so posh. There’s a different leather pattern, an inlay saying “1 of 300” on the center console, some embossed and embroidered logos, and some slightly different wood trim, but there’s nothing truly special in the cabin that isn’t already happening in the S550. The car was already gorgeous and opulent inside — stepping up to the limited-edition Maybach doesn’t move the needle all that much.
The Maybach’s extra perks will hopefully make up for the interior’s lack of visual punch: a set of matched luggage made from the same leather as the seats, an embroidered car cover and even a signed certificate from Dieter Zetsche, head of Mercedes-Benz.
Stuffing the V-12 engine from the AMG S65 under the hood is a nice perk as well. But the purpose of the Mercedes-Maybach S650 cabriolet is really to provide a status symbol to 75 (the number of these coming to the U.S.) well-off Americans who want something a little more unique than a standard S550. Unfortunately, it is only a little more unique.
