Mercedes-Maybach S 680 is "Affordable" V12-PowerMercedes BenzIn the upper stratosphere of ultra-luxury super sedans, pricing and affordability become fuzzy, like arguing about which celebrity you'd want to marry. But it could happen, so...Let's say the Bentley Flying Spur is the best-performing of the bunch, but it costs $254,850; the Ghost may be be Rolls-Royce's entry-level sedan, but it stickers for $370,750; even the Cadillac Celestiq, assuming it actually exists somewhere, is $361,000.So in that context, the $249,000 Mercedes-Maybach S 680, complete with twin-turbo V12 power, is something of a bargain. The twin-turbo, mild-hybrid S 580 even more so which, at $211,750, is downright affordable. Relatively speaking.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut those who actually buy these aren't really cross-shopping anything."A lot of it's our own customers moving up," said Maybach product planner Jimmy Edwards.Mercedes BenzThe difference with the S 680 that Mercedes let me drive for a morning is the V12. Sure, the specific engine design can trace its lineage back 20 years, but come on, man, it's a V12! Only five carmakers in the world offer that configuration right now, and two are Aston Martin and Ferrari. There's even a badge on the fender that says "V12." This one sports 6.0 liters of displacement, with twin turbochargers—one per bank—forcing air into its dozen cylinders to make 621 hp at 5,100 rpm and 664 lb-ft of torque between 2,000-4,500 revs. Short of a V16, the V12 wins in the prestige department. Unless we add the W12 to the mix. Or the Napier 24.That power and torque goes to all four wheels via M-B's 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system, good for 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds. That's quick, considering the S 680 weighs 5,280 pounds. Interestingly, the S 580, with two liters less displacement and four fewer cylinders, gets to 60 quicker, in 3.9 seconds. Must be the 48-volt mild-hybrid, but the battery for the hybrid adds 55 pounds to the car's curb weight.Logo, grille surround, and name badge are illuminated.Mercedes BenzFor 2027, the Maybach has gone Maximum Mercedes, albeit subtly. Outside there are cosmetic changes like a bigger grille with another "V12" badge in it, white light illuminating both the grille surround and the three-pointed star on the hood to make better entrances at Hollywood premieres, three-pointed star-shaped headlights and Maybach emblems in the lower front end, and power-closing rear doors because, who wants to have to close their own door?AdvertisementAdvertisementInside is hand-stitched Nappa leather sewn in concentric elliptic patterns instead of diamonds, massaging rear seats, ventilated front seats, and infotainment screens at all seating locations. And while it has heated seats, it also has heated armrests, steering wheel, door panels and heated seat belts. Yes, seat belts. The Maybach version of the S-Class has been stretched 7.5 inches to accommodate the rear seat passengers with more luxury, as they deserve.One of the 31 speakersMercedesThe sound system is a mighty 1,500-watt, 31-speaker Burmester with Dolby Atmos. I heard a demo of this a couple years ago in Paris, in the previous Maybach S-Class, and it ruined all regular sound for me since.Next: the drive. Mine started in Beverly Hills, of course, as one does, and for the first half hour or so all I could do was worry about scratching those big, flat 21-inch wheels on any of the 90210's painted curbing.The V12 is quiet, first and foremost. These owners, at least here in the US, prefer to drive the car themselves. In other markets they want to be driven around. You might choose the latter.MercedesOf the cars in this class that I've driven, most of the competition feels better going around a corner than this Maybach, even with 10 degrees of rear steer. My drive route wiggled along Mulholland, both in Malibu and the Hollywood Hills, and the car is not only too big for those confines, but the Airmatic air suspension with Intelligent Damper Control was clearly set up for straight-line comfort over cornering, as it should be in this car. No one's going to race this anywhere, so the clear choice in setup is comfort. The Rolls suspensions might have outdone the Maybach in bumpy road control, and the Bentley may have outshone both of those. I've only briefly seen a Celistiq, so I can't compare that one.AdvertisementAdvertisementSo why choose the Maybach? With the available two-tone paint, it'll stand out at the ESPYs or the Grammys, though only 40 percent of buyers go with the two-tone. My brief loan was in a two-tone S 680 and I think I'd go for the more subdued single-tone paint job, but I'm boring and always striving for anonymity, which this car doesn't grant. You can also get Mercedes to mix up whatever can of paint you want, so keep that in mind as you admire your snowboard or purse.Of course, if you can stand life without the prestige of a Maybach, the somewhat similar Mercedes-Benz S 500, with a V8 engine, MBUX Superscreen, intelligent air suspension, and next-gen driver assistance, starts at an even-more-reasonable $112,550. Look at us, throwing these numbers around like we might actually buy one of these things.But you might. And you might meet your celebrity of choice, too. Who knows?