Who needs a Maybach when you can have a Mercedes with the same engine? Who wants neighbors snickering, "There go the Carnegies, showing off again." While the Maybach is designed to be an earthbound, downsized Lear Jet, the new S600 and CL600 are more like upsized SL55 AMGs. The 600s' new twin-turbo 5.5L V-12 is rated just 7 hp more than the SL55's 5.5L supercharged V-8, but torque is a meaty 585 lb-ft at 1800-3500 rpm versus 516 at 2650 for the SL55, enough to offset the extra weight. The Maybach is of course bigger and heavier, but its version of the twin-turbo V-12 makes 550 hp and 663 lb-ft, due to extra underhood space that allows for a freer-breathing exhaust.
This new engine makes the S and CL, still attractively minimalist after facelifts and richer interiors for '03, big cars with big power that really pushes you back in your seat. The coupe, especially, has NASA-like thrust. In Germany's Black Forest and on the autobahn, we felt an immediate and unending supply of forward g (to 155 mph), enough to propel all that elegant sheetmetal through traffic holes otherwise reserved for Porsches.
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