The SL 680: Maybach’s Sporty Soft-Top
Maybach transforms the SL into a sensuous two-seater grand tourer – blending handcrafted luxury with graceful performance and open-air intimacy.
When Mercedes and AMG decided to revamp the high-strung GT Coupe onto a shared platform with the SL-Class two-door, a serious question arose: would the GT soften up or the SL get sportier? Well, the SL definitely leans toward the firmer end of the grand touring spectrum, leaving the real answer to arrive from Maybach, which arguably built the very best SL variant possible by leaning further into the brand’s unique luxury ethos.
Most importantly, the Maybach SL 680 commits to a dedicated two-seat layout rather than a 2+2 with vestigial perches that are barely useful for even small children, pets, or parcel storage behind the front row. This decision creates significantly more legroom up front for the driver and passenger, key to increasing perceived spaciousness given the long and lowslung driving position. Meanwhile, the seats, upholstery, and trim all introduce a new level of sumptuous leather finishing at most touchpoints – though a few trim pieces still stick with a surprising amount of piano black plastic that contrasts heavily with the launch spec’s Manufaktur Crystal White Nappa leather.
Maybach boasts the new SL 680 slots into the lineup as its sportiest option, and that’s definitely true compared to enormous four-door sedans. But versus an AMG SL, this convertible delivers a far softer and smoother ride as befitting the interior enhancements. The first cue that hints at extensive engineering revisions from Maybach are the wheels, which come in a quintessential Monoblock design or a multispoke, but still measure only a restrained 21 inches. This allows more tire sidewall to help the suspension absorb rougher roads, while softer springs, longer travel shock dampers, and active roll bars further absorb bumps while keeping the cockpit in utter serenity.
Throw in buttery shifts from the nine-speed automatic transmission, and the twin-turbo V8’s 577 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque seem entirely manageable, emoting the calm capability of bulletproof German engineering. Dig deeper into the throttle in Sport mode, however, and this Maybach still leaps ahead with wellsprings of power from that familiar Bi-turbo engine. But a unique Maybach exhaust system also reduces NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) with additional fiberglass textiles in the mufflers, imparting a more sonorous and pleasurable tone rather than a barking roar. And extra sound insulation throughout the body means even hard pulls come in relative peace and quiet, despite the AMG roots still allowing for a 4.0-second sprint to 60 mph on the way to a top speed of 161 mph – not bad for a soft-top convertible.
That top can drop in only 15 seconds at speeds up to 37 mph, and opening the roof to let in more sky while cruising in the luxurious Maybach drive mode only further emphasizes the subtly softer steering, copious suspension damping, and less touchy throttle response of an opulent grand tourer. This is Maybach’s first convertible since the 2017 S 650 Cabriolet, and though based on immediately familiar shared DNA, its exterior form also changes noticeably. The front grille and intakes feature plenty of minute Maybach references, swooping upward to a hood that bows more gracefully, with additional chrome elements along the side and rear to match.
At Maybach’s media drive program in Ibiza, every car arrived decked out in the Monogram Series launch spec’s choice between “White Ambience,” a two-tone Obsidian Black Metallic over Moonlight White Magno, or “Red Ambience” that features the same black and Garnet Red Metallic bodywork. An optional laser-engraved hood finishes off the package and matches fine anthracite patterning on the convertible top, though to some eyes, the extensive thematic elements may well go overboard in pure style terms.
Of course, plenty of individualization options are available – including, critically, over 50 other paint colors already available through Manufaktur Exclusive, each of which was inspired by precious stones and minerals. So, for those buyers in search of a slightly less gaudy spec than the two standard Monogram Series colorways, to more aptly match the SL 680’s absolutely splendid character, rest assured Maybach understands.
Further customization will no doubt add to the anticipated price tag, which should extend well into the $200,000 range – considering the European starting sticker of €215,000 before taxes. Given the evolving tariff situation here in the United States, Maybach likely wants to hold off on committing to a price for as long as possible, though a representative confirmed that the first SL 680s will arrive to American dealers in the second half of 2025.
As it stands, the Maybach will likely cost about double a base SL 43 AMG, and maybe 25% more than a V8-powered SL 63 AMG. The SL 63 E Performance and GT 63 Coupe should wind up slightly cheaper, but for the former, additional hybrid weight gains may eat into any advantages versus an internal-combustion SL, while the latter does away with much of the cruiser comforts.
As much as Maybach fans may have been hoping to see an even larger and plusher two-door, more in line with concept cars over the years or aiming to compete more directly with Rolls-Royce and Bentley, the SL 680 Monogram Series instead arrives as the cherry on top of the Mercedes and AMG lineup – quite literally, when finished in Red Ambience.
But where the sheer physics of shoehorning raw performance potential into the SL chassis resulted in somewhat compromised driving dynamics, the Maybach treatment introduces a newfound level of tranquility that results in the best open-topped version of this car on the market today.
Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series
- Engine: 4-liter twin-turbocharged V8
- Transmission: 9-speed automatic
- Horspower: 577
- Torque: 590 lb-ft
- Drive: All-wheel drive
- 0-60mph: 4.0s
- Top Speed (electronically limited): 161mph
This article appeared in our September 2025 Issue.
Introducing the August 2025 issue of duPont REGISTRY, #484, starring McLaren Automotive’s 2027 Le Mans Hypercar. To get your hands on a copy, either buy a single issue or subscribe.
Photos Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz AG
Related Articles
2025 McLaren Artura Spider Review: Droptop With A Split Personality
by Kirk Bell
in McLaren News, Reviews
Image Source: McLaren Automotive
“Twenty, twenty, TWENTY,” my mom screams, as I approach a 90-degree bend preceded by a 20 mph sign on a country road near her home in Bumpkinville, Wisconsin. I’m doing plenty in the McLaren Artura Spider, and slow to about 40 mph for the turn, which the car handles with ease.
“Are you trying to kill your mother?” she asks.
“No, mom, that would kill me too,” I reply. “This car has a lot of capability.”
That’s the engaging supercar side of the Artura Spider’s multifaceted personality. As a plug-in hybrid, it can also be an electric economy car or an everyday driver.
The Artura is McLaren’s entry-level supercar, and the Spider fills the droptop role. It features a power-operated hardtop that opens or closes in just 11 seconds at speeds up to 30 mph. Carbon-composite construction means the top adds just 136 pounds versus the coupe.
Electric Economy Car
McLaren also limits the weight added by its plug-in hybrid powertrain, which consists of an axial-flux motor in the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, a twin-turbocharged V6, and a 7.4-kWh battery. The hybrid system adds just 287 pounds, which keeps the curb weight down to a reasonable 3,439 pounds.
The V6’s 120-degree V makes it spread wider and sit lower than the typical 60-degree V6s in mainstream cars. A dry sump oiling system lets it sit even lower, and the 94 horsepower and 117 pound-feet of the electric motor contribute to a total system output of 690 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque.
Start the Artura and it defaults to the Electric mode, which can be used up to 81 mph and effectively gives this sleek supercar silent propulsion and the power of a Smart ForTwo. The small battery enables a modest 11 miles of electric range, so Electric mode is best used to save fuel in heavy traffic or when driving in emissions-free city zones.
Everyday driver
Click the powertrain controller on the right side of the instrument panel to Comfort and do the same for the suspension on the left side of the IP, and the Artura Spider becomes a comfortable everyday driver.
The car can run on electricity in Comfort mode, but step hard on the throttle and the V6 fires up with a pleasing “whum.” In Comfort, the exhaust note doesn’t drown out conversation, and the transmission and engine are relaxed. A deep stab of the throttle will unleash all 690 horses, but it’s just as happy to chill. Comfort also maintains a five-percent charge in the battery, which is important because reverse gear only runs on electricity.
The Artura Spider is made from pretty exotic stuff. It’s built around a new mid-engine carbon-fiber tub called the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA), and it’s set on sticky 235/35R19 front and 295/35R20 rear Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires. That’s all aimed at performance, but the Artura manages to ride well enough to make it comfortable for regular duty. In their softest setting, the adaptive dampers absorb most bumps like a sport sedan.
City and highway driving give me time to check out the interior. My test car is equipped with the heated, power-adjustable comfort seats that have big bolsters to keep me situated in the corners but leave room for wider backsides. The $9,400 Performance Spec includes high-quality Alcantara upholstery with orange piping, and a $1,600 black package adds gloss-black plastic trim.
Engaging supercar
The Mr. Hyde side of the Artura’s multiple personalities is accessed through the Sport and especially the Track settings for both the suspension and powertrain.
My tester has the $5,100 sport exhaust system, which adds active exhaust valves and a symposer to pipe the exhaust note into the cabin. Sport mode opens the valves and activates the symposer, turning up the exhaust note’s volume so it becomes the entertainment rather than what’s playing on the radio. Track mode makes it even louder, which is great when dicing up the corners, but fatiguing when it drones on at highway speeds.
Sport and Track also unlock the powertrain’s supercar rambunctiousness. The throttle gets touchier, and the transmission hangs on to gears longer.
Despite the torque fill of the electric motor, there is a touch of turbo lag from a stop, but after that, power delivery gets intense. I open it up on a country road and the Artura pins me back into my seat. The transmission fires through shifts as the V6 approaches its 8,500-rpm redline with a raspy crescendo. The 0-60 mph run takes just 3.0 seconds, extra-legal speeds arrive all too quickly, and the Artura Spider tops out at 205 mph.
Sport mode keeps the battery at about a 45-percent charge, while Track overrevs the engine to charge the battery. On a 45-mile cruise back home, Track mode charges the battery from 20 to 80 percent, though I could also charge it from 0-80 percent in 2.5 hours on a 240-volt home outlet.
Sport and Track modes also firm up the dampers to make the ride busy on broken pavement and harsh over sharp bumps. The track is so firm that I wouldn’t recommend using it on anything but smooth pavement. On a twisty but patchwork country road, I put the suspension in Comfort to keep the tires on the pavement as much as possible.
The low-slung Artura leans slightly in corners, which translates as feel from my perspective. It feels hunkered down and stable mid-corner, where I can control oversteer or understeer by adding or subtracting throttle. I don’t get the chance to drive the Artura Spider on a track, but track time in the Artura coupe revealed that the Pirellis have unrelenting grip, the car rotates willingly, and the standard carbon-ceramic brakes are strong but have a wooden feel after initial bite. In that extreme circumstance, the transmission didn’t always downshift to the right gear for the best power out of corners. I found I could do better with the large carbon-fiber shift paddles.
The Artura’s best dynamic trait is its electro-hydraulic steering. It’s pleasingly quick and direct with good weight, and road feel is plentiful through the small-diameter, flat-bottom steering wheel. The car reacts to steering inputs with scatback agility, too.
The 2025 McLaren Artura Spider starts at $281,008, including a hefty $5,000 delivery charge and a $2,208 fee for a few take-home goodies in the America’s Accessory Pack. That’s $24,700more than the coupe, and McLaren is happy to sell you as many expensive options as you like. With a smattering of options, my test car carries a substantial $332,348 price tag.
That’s obviously a lot of money to spend on a car, but McLaren Artura Spider can be seen as three cars in one. It’s quiet and efficient for short bursts as an electric economy car and comfortable as a daily driver, but it’s the most fun as an engaging supercar that can scare the hell out of your mom!
View All McLaren Arturas For Sale
Source: McLaren
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