Mercedes-Maybach S-Class special edition pays tribute to designer extraordinaire Virgil Abloh

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the 2023 edition of Mayback S-Class, a show-stopper and special edition to pay tribute to the designer extraordinaire, Virgil Abloh, who passed away in November last year.

Mercedes-Maybach calls this the final chapter of Project Maybach, and just 39 units of the limited edition will be made available in the United States later this year.

Unlike the Project Maybach, which was a show car with a very extravagant design and overall concept, the new Maybach designed by  Abloh is based on a 2023 Maybach S-Class S 680.

Abloh was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. According to Carbuzz, in September 2022, he revealed a unique Mercedes-Benz G-Class that he had helped design. Sadly, the fashion icon died of cancer last year at the age of 41. However, his heritage and expertise will forever live on with the new Mercedes-Maybach S680.

Mercedes-Benz says the new vehicle is the culmination of the cooperation between Louis Vuitton’s artistic director and the luxury automotive brand from Germany.

For the appearance of the luxury sedan, the fashion guru partnered with Gorden Wagener, Mercedes-Benz Chief Design Officer, to outline the basic design concept.

The luxury automaker says the vehicle was finalised in 2021, before Abloh’s untimely passing. The project is materialised by the customization and craftsmanship team at Mercedes-Benz Manufaktur in Sindelfingen.

The exterior of the Maybach S-Class by Abloh is said to feature a unique two-tone colour scheme with a beige main colour and a contrasting black roof, hood, bonnet, and pillars.

The signature Maybach 20-inch wheels are also finished in the same beige hue and while that may seem like a weird idea. This is the same colour combination as the one seen on the Project Maybach a few months ago.

The interior follows the same colour scheme with fine beige leather for the seats, door panels, armrests, and the lower section of the dashboard. From the center screen above, nearly everything is finished in black leather.

 

Speaking of the display on the centre console, Mercedes-Maybach says it now runs a personalised user interface, which is a “more luxurious” variation of the MBUX system of the automaker.

The Maybach S680 is powered by a 6.0-litre V12 engine generating a peak output of 604 horsepower (450 kilowatts).

This power is enough for the luxury limo to reach 62 miles per hour (100 kilometres per hour) from a standstill in 4.5 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 155mph (250kph).