Mercedes-Maybach S680

The gap between the Mercedes-Maybach S680 and the single nearest match in our 600-car catalogue is defined by how few cars combine its core ingredients: a V12, twin-turbocharging and all-wheel drive. Just 16 cars share the twin-turbocharged V12 formula, and only 21 pair a V12 with AWD. The S680 sits inside an unusually narrow part of the collection, where its identity comes from the combination rather than any single headline figure.

That distinction matters because the S680 is not positioned as the outright fastest or most powerful car in the catalogue. Its 621 bhp places it 170th out of 600 for power, putting it in the top 28 percent, while its 4.5 second 0 to 100 km/h time ranks 390th. Its 250 km/h top speed ranks 414th. Those numbers describe a car whose appeal is not built around chasing the highest positions in individual performance tables.

The evidence is in the engineering beneath those figures. A 5,980 cc, 6.0 litre V12 with twin turbocharging sends 900 Nm through AWD, creating a specification that is far less common than the performance rankings alone suggest. The S680 represents a different kind of achievement within a 600-car garage, where the relationship between engine layout, drivetrain and character can matter as much as acceleration.

The financial position reinforces that sense of distinction. With a used price of £200,000, it ranks 174th most expensive in the catalogue, making it a significant commitment without being the highest priced choice available. At £322 per bhp, it is not a car defined by chasing maximum output for every pound spent. It occupies a more considered space, where the specification is about the experience created by its combination of elements.

Mercedes-Maybach brings only four cars to the catalogue, and the S680 is the one that places a V12, AWD system and twin turbocharging together in this particular way. It comes from Germany, from a manufacturer founded in 2014, and represents a rare configuration within a much larger field.

Choosing this car for a dream garage leaves a final judgement open. The figures explain its rarity of specification and its place among 600 cars, but they cannot decide whether a collection is better served by a car built around measured performance or one built around the presence of a V12 luxury machine. That choice belongs to the person holding the keys.