Maybach 57 Saloon

Performance
The 57 use a tuned version of the Mercedes S600’s 5.5 twin-turbo V12 that develops huge power - 550bhp and 664lb ft of pull, to be exact. It shows. An even faster 6.0-litre V12 bi-turbo is fitted to the 57 S version.

Ride & handling
Air springs and adaptive dampers ought to give suppleness and composure. They don’t. Vertical bounce is well controlled, but there’s too much sideways rock and roll to allow rear occupants any peace, and sharp bumps could be better smothered. The car’s bulk, softness and light steering also work against tidy control away from motorways.

Refinement
The drivetrain – engine and automatic gearbox – is incredibly smooth, while the V12 emits just enough of a woofle under load to involve those who choose to do their own driving. There’s a bit of road noise on coarse surfaces, and wind noise above 80mph

OWNERSHIP

Buying & owning
With starting prices close to a quarter of a million pounds, you’ll need to be seriously wealthy to own one, so the chances are you’ll be unconcerned by the enormous costs of fuelling, insuring and maintaining the car. What might concern you are residuals, so Maybach has a buy-back scheme for used cars to protect these as much as possible.

Quality & reliability
The Maybach is an old-money brand reintroduced for nouveau riche buyers. You might not approve of the look of some colour and trim combos, but it’s hard to fault the hand-built quality. Mechanically, Mercedes bits are tough, but we’d like to think the electrical glitches that have plagued some models won’t be in evidence here.

Safety & security
Everything you need to keep a 550bhp, 2.7-tonne car on the road is fitted as standard, while the four occupants are protected by 10 airbags and the crash structures look deeply impressive. Deadlocks aren’t fitted, but then you’ll probably keep the car in an armoured garage anyway

IN THE CABIN

Behind the wheel
Though the driver has plenty of space and adjustment of the major controls, the switchgear demands familiarisation, and the hefty screen pillars, especially those at the rear, make exiting from junctions hazardous. The car’s soft settings and sheer bulk make it difficult to keep things smooth for passengers away from motorways.

Space & practicality
Riding in the back is even better than first-class air travel. You enter through doors that open to nearly 90 degrees, have masses of room and every luxury. The boot is no bigger than a Mondeo’s though, unless you fit a space-saver spare wheel.

Equipment
TV/DVD screens, surround-sound entertainment, reclining rear chairs and even a refrigerator and clamps for your champagne glasses are fitted in the rear. Even so, there are enough options (how about 24-carat gold-plated wheel rims?) to permit two million permutations of colour, trim and equipment, so chances are yours will be unique.