The last time the Mercedes-Maybach sub-brand offered a drop-top was with the limited-production S-Class Cabriolet in 2016. Since then, loyal Maybach customers have been asking the brand for not just another convertible but also a sports car. Enter the 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL680 Monogram Series, a luxurious, quirky version of the seventh-generation SL Roadster. While it’s clearly an SL, this new model has plenty of reasons to be clearly Maybach, from styling changes to redesigned engineering.
This is the new Mercedes-Maybach Night Series
The launch version is painted in a deep, stunning new colour, Garnet Red Metallic, which has a red base coat already mixed with the first layer, on top of which a further layer of clear is layered. All Maybach SLs come with an Obsidian Black bonnet, and the bonnet itself is new, doing away with the AMG SL’s power bulge in favour of more subtle creases and a prominent central spine in chrome that runs all the way to the front bonnet ornament. And yes, the Maybach is the first SL to feature a three-pointed star on the nose.
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Optionally, the hood can be printed with a repeating Maybach logo pattern, but this process required the development of new machinery. After the first layer of paint on the hood is clearcoated and polished, the graphite grey logo is printed, then two layers of matte clear are applied and polished. A bit over the top, but isn’t that what it’s all about? I can hear some people lamenting, “Wow, it looks like a designer handbag,” but people who actually buy this car see it as a plus, not a minus. After all, the average Maybach owner, especially in the US and China, is even younger than the average Mercedes owner (who is around 50 years old).
The Maybach logo motif is used as the grille mesh for the wide air intakes in the redesigned front bumper, with no fake intake plastic panels used and chrome trim wrapping the shape of the opening. The grille has the same shape as the AMG SL, but features Maybach’s signature vertical slats and, for the first time, an illuminated surround and script. Also unique to Maybach are the wheel design, the double M logo front fender trim, new side skirts with large chrome inserts and engraved Maybach script, the painted rear bumper with a more understated design and rectangular chrome exhaust tips, the chrome windshield surround, and a new font for the rear badge. Oh, and the Maybach also has rose gold accents on the headlights and tweaked taillights.
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The only interior option is Crystal White, with Nappa leather lavishly used throughout the cabin, including the headliner and lower trim panels. The seats feature a new stitch pattern that resembles the Maybach logo, and the double M mark is embossed in the center of the seats. Silver trim around the head restraints and seat backs features Maybach lettering on the front and the logo on the back. In response to customer feedback, the power-folding roof now has physical controls, and the Maybach now has a different steering wheel with piano black trim. The stainless steel door sills and pedals all feature the Maybach logo as well.
The AMG SL has two small rear seats — a first for an SL in the U.S. — but the Maybach does away with them in favor of a leather-covered parcel shelf that houses Burmester speakers and features the same stitching pattern as the seats. Covering the shelf is a fixed aero cowl with a subtle double-hump design and a small glass wind deflector, which gives the Maybach a unique profile when it’s down. Not only is the fabric roof covered in a repeating Maybach logo pattern, but the same motif is featured on the black leather that covers the cowl, the tops of the doors and the top of the dashboard below the windshield.
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Inside the SL, Mercedes made more engineering changes than we expected; especially since all other versions of the new SL are AMG, it can’t be based on the comfort-focused Mercedes-Benz SL. It uses the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine as the SL63, with the same 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. (Mercedes said a PHEV setting for the SL63 SE Performance wasn’t considered because it would have taken up too much trunk space.) With a 0-to-60 mph time of 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 161 mph, the Maybach SL680 is 0.5 seconds and 35 mph slower than the SL63, but it’s still the quickest Maybach ever.
In addition to a bespoke exhaust system that’s quieter up to high revs, the Maybach has new transmission software for smoother shifts between second and third gears, and between third and fourth. Apart from Individual, the only drive modes are Comfort, Maybach and Sport, and there’s no launch control. The Maybach also has a tweaked steering ratio and a new rack, more upright front camber, new spring and rear damper valving, retuned engine mounts, a different stability control system, and increased acoustic foam in the doors, tires and wheel arches. The all-wheel-drive system is more center-biased than the SL63’s rear-biased setup. Mercedes says that despite all the changes, the Maybach is only about 176 pounds heavier than the SL63.
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For the first model year at least, the Maybach SL680 will only be sold in this Monogram series, which is very limited in terms of specification: you can choose between Red Ambience or White Ambience (the latter with Moonlight White Magno paint), and you can choose between multi-spoke wheels or Monoblocks — get the Monoblocks — and the only other option is to have the logo printed on the bonnet — get those too.
Only 300 of the 2017 Maybach S650 Cabriolet were made worldwide, but Mercedes isn’t limiting production of the SL680 Monogram series. With a starting price of $208,150 for the SL63 SE Performance, it’s not surprising to see a Maybach cost closer to $250,000. Since the average Maybach customer already owns a half-dozen or so cars, that shouldn’t be an issue.
Photo: Daniel Golson/Jalopnik
Photo: Daniel Golson/Jalopnik
Photo: Daniel Golson/Jalopnik
Photo: Daniel Golson/Jalopnik
Photo: Daniel Golson/Jalopnik
