Photo: Mercedes via liucunyi_starandcar on Instagram / edited
Mercedes will preview three models at Pebble Beach, starting with a special edition of the AMG GT3. The rest includes two Maybachs, namely the Maybach S 680 Edition Nordic Glow and the first-ever Maybach SL.
The 2025 Mercedes-Maybach SL will debut on the Concept Lawn on Sunday, August 18. It's been just over a week since the initial report, but low-resolution photos of the luxury roadster have recently leaked online. As you can see from the photos, the AMG-the specific front grille has been replaced by a more elegant design.
The Maybach division has also worked its magic on the front bumper, while the hood features painted Maybach logos and a metallic accent that runs from the three-pointed star to where the hood meets the windshield. Unique Maybach multi-spoke wheels are also on the way, although it’s hard to tell from these low-res images whether those wheels feature a central locking mechanism for the wheel nuts.
It should be noted that even the recently unveiled AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ It has center-locking wheels, which means we're probably looking at five lug nuts per corner. The chromed or polished steel side skirt trim also deserves a mention, along with the rear bumper and exhaust outlets.
Shown in red and white with a black soft top embossed with Maybach logos, the 2025 Mercedes-Maybach SL further sweetens the deal with plush front bucket seats and vents on the headrests that channel warm air to the necks of the driver and front passenger. Polished metal trim graces the cabin, and the steering wheel boasts either a piano black finish or a dark wood veneer of some sort.
Photo: Mercedes via liucunyi_starandcar on Instagram
The only leaked image of the digital instrument cluster shows Maybach-specific graphics and kilometers per hour instead of miles per hour. On the other hand, remember that Maybach is a German brand. Mercedes bought it in 1960 and then revived it as a separate brand in 2002. A little more than a decade later, the Stuttgart-based automaker rebranded Maybach as Mercedes-Maybach.
That’s right, miles per hour! 280 is this guy’s top speed, or 174 mph in the US and UK. The most powerful AMG SL in production today is the SL 63 SE PERFORMANCE, whose plug-in hybrid twin-turbo V8 and multi-clutch automatic transmission enable a top speed of 315 clicks (196 mph). For comparison, the unassisted GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ is listed at 317 km/h (196 mph).
As you may know, this generation SL and the second generation AMG GT are technically similar. Both use AMG’s Modular Sport Architecture, a platform that can accommodate both V8 and I4 engines. Everyone would imagine a V12 under the hood of the Maybach SL, but unfortunately, said platform has yet to receive a twelve-cylinder engine.
The only Maybach with V12 power in production as of August 2024 is the Maybach S 680 4MATIC, whose M279 engine develops 603 horsepower and 664 pound-feet (900 Nm). Considering that the SL 63 SE PERFORMANCE makes significantly more than either of them (805 horsepower and 1,047 pound-feet, or 1,420 Nm in metric), it’s unlikely that the Maybach SL will have the Sonderklasse’s twin-turbo V12.