3 Minutes
Some cars whisper luxury. This one announces it with a V12 heartbeat and paintwork that takes days to perfect.
The 2026 Mercedes-Maybach S 680 V12 Edition isn’t exactly new—Mercedes revealed the ultra-limited sedan back in September 2025. Yet seeing one in this deep olive-and-black specification changes the conversation. The car recently surfaced in Japan, and suddenly the special edition feels even rarer than the numbers suggest.
Production is capped at just 50 cars worldwide. Only five are expected to reach Japan. In a country where collectors prize exclusivity, that tiny allocation could turn the buying process into a lottery rather than a straightforward purchase.
And once you see the finish, it’s easy to understand the appeal.
A Paint Job That Takes Ten Days
The example shown for Japan wears a striking dual-tone exterior: Manufaktur Olive across the upper body paired with Obsidian Black below. Separating the two is a delicate High‑Tech Silver pinstripe, the kind of detail that quietly signals this isn’t a standard luxury sedan.
The paint alone reportedly takes up to ten days to complete—roughly twice the time required for a typical Maybach finish. Subtle but meaningful touches complete the look, including a 24‑karat gold inlay and a V-shaped design motif inspired by the massive V12 engine hiding behind the imposing chrome grille.
Large Maybach-style 20‑inch alloy wheels and generous chrome accents add the final flourish. The result feels less like a car and more like a rolling piece of craftsmanship.
Step inside and the theme continues. The cabin receives Nappa leather on the steering wheel and headliner, paired with Manufaktur Saddle Brown and Black trim. A numbered plaque reminds owners just how exclusive their car is, while gold Maybach emblems stitched into the headrests reinforce the sense that this is something beyond the ordinary S-Class.
Under the hood sits the reason collectors still obsess over this model: a handcrafted twin‑turbocharged 6.0‑liter V12. The engine produces 621 horsepower and a massive 664 lb‑ft (900 Nm) of torque. Despite the car’s limousine-like presence, performance is far from lazy. The standard Maybach S 680 reaches 60 mph in about 4.3 seconds, and this limited edition delivers essentially the same effortless surge.
For comparison, the Maybach S 580’s 4.0‑liter twin‑turbo V8 makes 496 horsepower and trails the V12 model by roughly four‑tenths of a second in the sprint to 60 mph. Quick, yes—but not quite the same experience.
In Japan, pricing for the 2026 Mercedes‑Maybach S 680 V12 Edition begins at 53.99 million yen—about $343,000 at current exchange rates. That’s a steep step above the regular S 680, which starts around $244,400 in the United States.
Still, for collectors chasing one of the last great V12 luxury sedans—and a modern tribute to the legendary Maybach Zeppelin—price may be the least surprising part of the story.
Source: autoevolution
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