When Mercedes-Benz killed off the Maybach brand a few years ago, it left the ultra-luxury sedan segment to be divided between Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Last year, the Maybach name was brought back to denote the ultimate version of the S-Class.
Here’s the question, though: Is the Mercedes-Maybach S600 the ultimate exec express?
To find out, Motor Trend pits one of them against a Bentley Mulsanne Speed in the video below. (Rolls-Royce passed on entering its Phantom in the competition.) Twelve cylinders, 523 horsepower, and 612 lb-ft against eight cylinders, 530 horsepower, and 811 lb-ft. Germany’s finest vs. England’s best.
After driving and riding in the back of each car, Motor Trend‘s Jonny Lieberman discovers the list of differences between the two is as long as their wheelbases. Although the Maybach offers a smoother, more tranquil ride and the comfort of first-class airline seats in the rear passenger compartment, its materials and rear-seat “champagne solutions” are trumped by those found in the big, bestial Bentley.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
