Maybach’s first two-seater arrives with enough swagger to make even the SL lineage do a double-take

Mercedes-Benz Singapore has unveiled the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series, a milestone model that reshapes what Maybach stands for. It is the brand’s first two-seater — an open-top interpretation of the SL line — and a departure from Maybach’s usual limousine silhouette.

The company describes it as combining “athletic proportions” with “exquisite aesthetics and maximum comfort,” a pairing that reflects Maybach’s continued attempt to broaden its design language while remaining anchored in craftsmanship.

The launch arrives during a strong year for top-end vehicles in Singapore. Marcel Luis Mustelier Perez, president & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Singapore, frames the SL 680 not purely as a design exercise but as a response to how local buyers view individuality.

“Singapore is a market that embraces individuality and exclusivity, and this is reflected in our more than 80 per cent growth in Top-End Vehicle sales this year,” he says.

Mercedes-Maybach has been a clear highlight of this momentum, and with the new Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series — Maybach’s first-ever two-seater — we now bring a dynamic, open-air expression of Maybach luxury tailored for the most discerning customers.”

Two curated design concepts sit at the centre of the Monogram Series: White Ambience and Red Ambience. White Ambience pairs obsidian-black metallic with MANUFAKTUR opalite white magno, offering a cool, controlled contrast.

Red Ambience, explicitly developed for this model, uses a garnet red metallic tinted clearcoat described as “vibrant” with “a special depth effect”. The palette stretches far beyond these two schemes — more than 50 MANUFAKTUR colours are available, inspired by gemstones, natural landscapes, and archival shades that nod to earlier eras of Mercedes-Benz and Maybach design.

Craftsmanship in every contour

Inside, the car adopts a quieter, more restrained expression. Crystal white MANUFAKTUR Exclusive Nappa leather creates the brand’s “an airy, elegant ambience”.

The floral seat design, silver chrome trim and lowered side panels contribute to what Maybach refers to as “the typical Maybach cocooning effect”, though the cabin feels less enclosed than the marque’s sedans and SUVs. This SL emphasises spaciousness, light, and tactility, a deliberate shift for a brand long defined by limousine-like formality.

Externally, the SL 680 borrows cues from both Maybach and classic roadsters. The chrome-finished radiator grille adopts an A-shaped contour — a first for a Maybach — which lowers the visual centre of gravity.

The grille and Maybach lettering are illuminated, and the headlights feature a subtle yet deliberate rose-gold accent. The taillights are stamped with the Maybach logo, while 21-inch forged wheels give the car a more assertive side profile when the soft top is down.

One of the most distinctive elements of the Monogram Series sits on the bonnet. Here, Mercedes-Benz debuts its PixelPaint technology, a process that prints the Maybach pattern using more than 1,000 micro-nozzles capable of placing droplets between 20 and 50 microns in diameter.

The brand explains that the bonnet is sanded and lacquered repeatedly by hand, giving the printed pattern “an extraordinary depth effect”. Beyond aesthetics, the company positions PixelPaint as part of a more sustainable approach to customisation, since the process eliminates masking and reduces waste.

Luxury that moves differently

The driving experience leans towards refinement rather than aggression. The SL offers four programmes — Comfort, Maybach, Sport, and Individual — that let the car shift from relaxed cruising to a more responsive character.

Mercedes-Benz highlights its semi-active hydraulic roll stabilisation system, which uses hydraulic elements rather than mechanical anti-roll bars to counter body movement “in fractions of a second”, smoothing out uneven surfaces and tightening the road feel when needed. Rear-axle steering adds stability, especially in a two-seater with a long wheelbase.

Acoustic comfort remains a priority. Mercedes-Benz notes the use of acoustic foams, insulating materials, and a noise-optimised exhaust system designed to produce a “sonorously restrained sound”.

Even with the roof lowered, the car aims to maintain the brand’s characteristic quietness — one of the defining traits that separates Maybach from its more performance-driven siblings.

The Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series ultimately reflects a brand experimenting with a different shape of luxury. It is still recognisably Maybach, but it opens the possibility that grandeur can take the form of a roadster: open to the sky, technically ambitious in its detailing, and calibrated for a market increasingly confident in its taste.