The 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL680 is a sports car that has gone to super luxury training school

Last Mercedes-Maybach sub-brand offered as a convertible in 2016 with S-Class Cabriolet limited editionand ever since, loyal Maybach customers have been asking the brand to deliver not just another convertible, but a sports car. Enter the 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL680 Monogram Series, a luxurious and exotic version of the seventh generation SL convertible. While it’s still clearly an SL, there’s a lot about this new model that makes it special. Maybachfrom styling changes to technical improvements.

The launch edition is painted in Garnet Red Metallic, a deep and beautiful new colour in which a red base coat has been mixed into the first coat, then several more clear coats have been applied on top. Each Maybach SL gets an Obsidian Black roof, and the roof itself has a new design, ditching the AMG SL’s raised lines in favour of more subtle creases and a prominent central chrome bar that runs all the way to the front hood ornament. That’s right, the Maybach is the first SL to feature the three-pointed star on its nose.

Optionally, you can have the Maybach logo pattern repeated on the hood, a process that required the development of a new machine. After the first coat of clear coat on the hood is applied and sanded, the Graphite Grey logo is printed, then two coats of matte clear coat are applied and sanded. Overkill, and isn’t that the whole point? I can hear you groaning and saying “oh, it looks like a designer handbag,” but the people who will actually buy this car see that as a positive, not a negative. After all, the average Maybach owner is now even younger than the average Mercedes owner (around 50), especially in the US and China.

The Maybach logo motif is used as the grille for the wide air intakes in the redesigned front bumper, which does away with the faux plastic air intakes and has a chrome surround that shapes the openings. The grille is the same shape as the AMG SL, but features vertical slats typical of the Maybach and, for the first time, has an illuminated surround and lettering. Also characteristic of the Maybach are the wheel designs, the front fender trim with the double M logo, new side skirts with large chrome inserts and embossed Maybach lettering, a more refined painted rear bumper and rectangular chrome exhaust tips, a chrome windshield surround and a new font for the rear badge. Oh, and the Maybach also gets rose gold accents on the revised headlights and taillights.

Your only interior option is Crystal White, with Nappa leather used extensively throughout the cabin, including on the headliner and lower trim panels. The seats get a new stitching pattern featuring the Maybach logo, with the double M embossed in the center of the seat, and silver trim around the headrests and seat backs has Maybach lettering up front and the logo on the rear. There are now physical controls for the power folding roof, in response to customer feedback, and the Maybach gets a different steering wheel with a piano black rim. The stainless steel door sills and pedals are also Maybach-branded.

Where AMG SL The Maybach has two small rear seats, a first for an SL in the United States, but these are replaced by a leather luggage rack with integrated Burmester speakers and matching stitching to the seats. Covering the luggage rack is a fixed aerodynamic panel with a subtle double-edge design and a small glass wind deflector, giving the Maybach a unique silhouette when the top is down. Not only is the fabric roof covered with a repeating Maybach logo pattern, but the black leather covering the panel, the top of the doors, and the top of the dashboard at the base of the windshield also feature the same pattern.

Under the skin, Mercedes has changed more about the SL’s engineering than you might expect, especially since every other version of the new SL is an AMG—there’s no Mercedes-Benz SL that’s more geared toward comfort. It uses the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 as the SL63, with the same 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. (Mercedes says SL63 SE Performance PHEV (The setup was not considered because it would have taken up too much trunk space.) With a 0-60 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 fastest Maybach ever made.

In addition to a custom exhaust system that’s quieter at higher rpms, the Maybach gets new transmission software that makes shifting between 2nd and 3rd, and 3rd and 4th gears smoother. Aside from Individual, the only drive modes are Comfort, Maybach, and Sport, and there’s no launch control. The Maybach also gets a revised steering ratio and new rack, more upright front camber, new rear springs and dampers, revised engine mounts, different stability control, and more sound-deadening foam in the doors, tires, and wheel arches. The all-wheel-drive system has a more aggressive center bias, compared to the rear bias setup in the SL63. Despite all the changes, Mercedes says the Maybach weighs just 176 pounds more than the SL63.

For the first year at least, the Maybach SL680 will only be available in this Monogram Series trim, which is very limited in specification. You can choose between Red Ambience or White Ambience, the latter with Moonlight White Magno paint, and you can choose between multi-spoke or monoblock wheels. Get the monoblock. The only other option is the hood decal. Get that, too.

Unlike the 2017 Maybach S650 Cabriolet, which was only produced in a run of 300 for global consumption, Mercedes isn’t limiting production of the SL680 Monogram Series. With the SL63 SE Performance starting at $208,150, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Maybach priced closer to $250,000. The average Maybach customer already owns about a half-dozen cars, so that shouldn’t be a problem.