Revealed: the 621bhp Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet

By topgear ,

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A mashup to eclipse Danger Mouse’s The Grey Album, perhaps: one part Mercedes-Maybach, one part AMG, all-parts excellent. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the (deep breath) Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet. It is a (even deeper breath) Maybach-badged, AMG V12-engined convertible Mercedes G-Class.

Why, you might quietly cry, does the 21st century need a limited edition, convertible, V12-engined G-Class? Well, we might quietly whisper back, why the hell not? Mercedes’s argument is as follows: “The off-road icon demonstrates that the definition of unique luxury can always be taken to a new level.”

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And what a level. We begin our descent at 5.3m long and 2.2m high, with a ground clearance of more than half a metre (thanks, portal axles!). It’s strictly a four seater, and here, if you excuse the pun, we uncover the first part of the mix. While the driver and front passenger get a proper roof, the rear passengers are treated to an electrically folding fabric roof that stows in an unspecified amount of seconds to reveal much sky. Press another button, and a glass partition further separates front and back passengers. Another push of a button, and said glass changes from transparent to opaque. Shady.

And the back is really where you’d probably want to be, because those individual rear chairs have been lifted from the S-Class, which means they can be fully reclined, offer massage programmes and get a calf rest. There’s also a business console with cup holders that allow your chosen refreshment to be either cooled or heated. Even the tables have leather inserts to allow for a “comfortable writing surface”.

Though quite how comfortable you’ll be largely depends on your driver. Because while it might be a party in the back, it’s all business up front. Courtesy of AMG’s monster 6.0-litre biturbo V12, which - as in the G65 AMG - produces 621bhp and 1000Nm of torque. Maybach has yet to divulge the performance data on this Landaulet G-Class, but in a ‘regular’ G65, 0-100kph takes a little over five seconds. Brisk, for something so outrageously massive. And outrageous.

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After all, it’s got those portal axles, just like the 6x6 G63 and G500 4x4 squared. It’s got 100 per cent diff locks. It’s got diamond-stitched, two-tone leather inside. There is chrome plating. There are also flared carbon fibre wheel arches, electric “entry aids” to allow easier access into the cabin, a pair of high res rear screens and, to say it again, heated massage functions. And a monster V12.

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Just 99 of these Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulets will be built, for an unspecified sum of money. It will be a large, unspecified sum of money, be in no doubt. “The Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet is surely the most exclusive form of stylish open-top motoring,” Merc explains. You’ll see it proper at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

Admit it, you want one, right?