Mercedes has taken a big swing with the 2026 Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series, a $226,000 roadster that somehow earned the title of best new car of 2025 from automotive critics despite its specialized two-seat configuration and astronomical price tag. This convertible marks a radical departure for the ultra-luxury Maybach brand, which traditionally focuses on long-wheelbase sedans and SUVs built for being chauffeured around town.
- The 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 has a starting price of $226,050.
- Its 577-hp, 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 with nine-speed automatic and all-wheel drive achieves 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds.
- Visual changes include new front and rear fascias, a Maybach grille, chrome exterior trim, Maybach-specific 21-inch wheels, and a soft top covered in Maybach logos.
A Softer Take on the Sports Car
Based on the Mercedes-AMG SL63 sports car, the 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL680 Monogram Series attempts to transform the SL63’s personality from speed demon to grand touring machine. Having gained about 400 pounds during the Maybach makeover, the SL680 is slightly less of a straight-line rocket than the SL63, with the additional mass and lack of launch control explaining the performance difference.
Maybach sacrificed some of the SL63’s sharp handling in favor of comfort, with a decrease in camber, revalved dampers, softer springs front and rear, and increased cushioning around the suspension mounting points to soak up vibrations before they reach the cabin. Softer springs and dampers are fitted, while an exclusive Maybach Mode setting was added to the adaptive suspension menu, softening the suspension, relaxing throttle response, and adding more lightness to steering.
White Carpets and Monogrammed Everything
When you’ve ascended to the very pinnacle of luxury, your new car comes with bleach-white carpets the color of Chiclets. Carpets, hip-hugging leather seats, door panels, and even the steering wheel are so searingly white that Ray-Bans should be standard equipment. White is the only choice of interior coloring on offer for the first run of SL 680 Monograms, with only two exterior colors available: Red Ambiance or glossy White Ambiance, each with a contrasting Obsidian Black hood.
All Maybach SLs have bright white leather interiors, with additional padding in the seats to go with their new stitching patterns. Behind the seats, the fairly-useless plus-2 rear pews have been replaced with a more practical flat shelf, naturally trimmed in retina-searing Crystal White Nappa hide. Unlike the Mercedes G-Class SUV that offers practical storage for off-road adventures, this convertible prioritizes style over cargo space.
Performance That Still Packs a Punch
A sporty 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine with 577 horses powers the SL 680, yet true to the Maybach ethos, extensive measures went into ensuring a quiet, comfortable driving experience, with its Maybach-patterned insulated soft-top, specially tuned suspension and unique exhaust system optimizing top-down driving. Time to drop the logo’d top takes a mere 15 seconds start to finish.
Sport mode still exists, slingshotting the Maybach from standstill to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds, but the focus is definitely more on relaxed, refined, Teflon-smooth boulevarding. A handcrafted 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine delivers 577 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, with the 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission and 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive ensuring optimal performance, while four drive modes provide tailored dynamics.
What You’re Actually Paying For
At $224,900, the SL 680’s competition includes the $269,000 Aston Martin DB12 V8 Volante and $203,000 Maserati GranCabrio, neither of which has cheaper siblings plying the nation’s highways. Exclusivity stems from its wardrobe and price, as the basic underpinnings, at $37,050 less, are the SL 63 Roadster.
Buyers get less for more with no rear seat, less impressive performance numbers, and likely a paltry 15-mpg EPA combined fuel-economy rating. With no rear seat or extended cabin, there’s no place for a reclining lounge seat or refrigerated wine cooler, since the niceties of the Maybach SL are shared with the Mercedes SL. Experiencing the Maybach SL is a bit like driving away in a luxury handbag.
A Different Kind of Statement Piece
This convertible is the first two-seater roadster in Maybach history and stands as the brand’s sportiest model to date. It is such a lovely car to drive and surely the smoothest-riding SL ever. This convertible serves a different purpose than the brand’s traditional offerings, targeting drivers who want to be behind the wheel themselves rather than relaxing in the back seat while someone else does the driving.
For buyers who can afford a $226,000 roadster, the Maybach SL 680 offers an exclusive blend of performance and luxury that you simply can’t get anywhere else. Whether that makes it worth nearly $40,000 more than the already luxurious SL63 comes down to how much value you place on white carpets, monogrammed everything, and the ability to tell people you drive a Maybach.
