Osnabrueck

C'mon guys, we're getting into a retardid semantical debate that's got no anwser. From a certain point of view, the Honda Civic is the world's best car, and from another it's the Porsche 911.

However, I think it's safe to say that the W221 S-Klasse is such a technical tour-de-force that it renders the Maybach 57 completely redundent. Scratch that, it makes the Maybach seem dated by comparison.

Gotta give the S it's due credit - it's the man of the hour, and other cars look a step behind when you compare all the tiny details. Just look at the new Lexus LS460. It's cabin is a dated snooze-fest next to the W221.

Curb Zone

 

Just_me

Not everyone want a 600hp and to be honest a S550 is more than enough for most people to handle, its just maniacs like you and me who wants power

Splenditenes

lOl,

I also agree with others who say the S-Class is best in it`s class.
Being "the best" includes engineering ratio efficiency on a whole in the class of car and the S-Class pulls it off better than the others in this class!
I indiciated that in my first post.

It`s these crazy magazine journalists who lately, are comparing the S600 to ultra-hi dollar cars. Is the S-Class,( S600 )
really that good? seems the journalists are agreeing that it is. Maby thay know something we don`t, experience with the car would tell you something.

The Artist

thats true man..i drove the new S500 and with 388hp its more than enough..it gains speed so quick and efortlessly that you dont even notice..

Just_me

I drove the new Corvette Z06 and the power is insane. Every time you push the throttle you risk your life and others as well and also loosing the driver-license is very easy.
512hp were the speedlimit is 110km/h, its pointless but still we love powerful cars and we would love own one

Merc1

You BMW guys kill me, you'll say anything not to give the S-Class its due. Now the best car should be affordable??? Hilarious. Now if the 7-Series was considered the best we wouldn't get this excuse and spin! Face it the S-Class rules this segment....yet again! You can spin it all you like but the S-Class is on top of the pile for the moment. The only car in the immediate future that even poses a threat is the LS460 since the A8 and 7-Series still have a few more years to go before they get redesigned.

M

Hypersonic

Well it's not so crazy to compare an S class with a Maybach or Rolls-Royce. In the past journalists would always compare the S class with the most prestigious luxury cars in the world -- like the Bentley Turbo R for example.

Regardless of price, far more of the world's wealthiest individuals will be chauffeured around in S classes than Phantoms or Maybachs -- not everybody wants to draw attention to themselves.

There is little doubt that the S class is technically superior to the Rolls-Royce Phantom -- the Merc is a far more rational choice of course, but we must note, the Phantom was never intended to be "rational".

Overall, the Maybach is just a big expensive luxury car with lots of toys. Unlike the Phantom, which makes up for it's "shortcomings" (and it's excessive price) with a sense of drama and style, the Maybach endeavors to "wow" it's audience with lots of wonderful "gizmos" -- unfortunately the designers forgot about elegance, presence, and style. But the biggest problem with the Maybach is that it was conceived with exactly the same parameters as any other German luxury car, there is nothing to distinguish it as something unique, nothing extra. Relying on technology, gadgets, and a heavy dose of marketing to create the "best car in the world" has one drawback: something more technically advanced with even more gadgets is bound to come along eventually -- and that is precisely what has happened. Unfortunately, the Maybach has little else to fall back on to seduce potential customers and convince them that it is a genuinely "good purchase" -- why would anybody buy a Maybach now? ...the Mercedes offers pretty much the same and more...and it even looks better.

BMW knew exactly what it was doing with Rolls-Royce, the Phantom is technically excellent as one would expect ....but that was never the real reason for it's existence. The Phantom is more about emotion and uniqueness than technology and entertainment ....and that's what ultimate luxury is really all about, it's much like the Pagani Zonda, there are technically better cars, but nothing else quite like it.

Hypersonic

What you guys are saying makes perfect sense. To be absolutely honest, I would choose the S500 for myself, it is more than enough for driving around town and maybe further in the weekends...all in serene comfort and relatively economically too.

The S500 is actually a more intelligent choice than the S600 really -- and the S65 is just insane and irrational (but amazing nonetheless)....much like a Bentley Arnage T.

The S600 is a status symbol really. To the casual observer, one S class looks like any other, but to enthusiasts like us that little "600" badge makes us sit up and take notice. But if you did decide to "use your head" and buy an S500 instead ...and if your ego just couldn't handle the indignity and humiliation of the lesser badge, one could always specify the rarely chosen option of having no designation badge at all.

Merc1

Youch! The post of the week Roberto, possibly the month! Deadly accurate. So I take it you're fallen out of love with the Maybach 57S....lol???

M

Hypersonic

Ha, Merc1 ....it's nothing we haven't discussed before.

I do think the Maybach 57S is an excellent car ....of course it is, it's one of the finest cars ever built ....but really, the S65 is a much wiser choice in all respects.

Curb Zone