Only 50 cars, lacquered in Olive and Obsidian with real gold medallions, mark Mercedes-Maybach’s unapologetic salute to twelve cylinders. The car wears MANUFAKTUR Olive Metallic over Obsidian Black Metallic divided by a razor-clean silver pinstripe. Mercedes says this finish can take up to ten working days, roughly twice the time of its usual two-tone. Inside and out, solid 24-carat gold details turn heritage cues into literal jewelry.
Designer: Mercedes-Maybach
This exclusive V12 Edition, defined by 24-carat gold medallions, arrives at a moment when most luxury brands are chasing efficiency metrics. The V12 Edition doesn’t apologize for existing. While competitors chase efficiency ratings and government incentives, Mercedes created automotive jewelry that guzzles premium fuel with the abandon of a champagne gala. The cost exceeds what most people earn in five years, all to celebrate an engine configuration that refuses to die quietly.
Why Gold Belongs in Jewelry Boxes, Not Badge Holders
The C-pillar double-M now sits inside a 24-carat gold medal ring with diamond engraving. A matching 24-carat gold inlay carries a fine V-pattern that echoes the cylinder layout, and the motif nods to the Maybach Zeppelin DS 8 hood ornament. These accents serve absolutely no functional purpose beyond announcing that the owner values craftsmanship over common sense.
The gold treatment extends beyond simple decoration. Each medallion requires specialized application techniques to ensure proper adhesion in automotive environments. Because nothing says “practical luxury” like precious metal decorations that will encounter road salt, bird droppings, and parking garage concrete. Yet this commitment to excess defines the V12 Edition’s appeal for buyers who want their automotive statements written in actual gold.
Mercedes-Maybach V12 Edition Paint: A Ten-Day Process
Mercedes quotes up to ten working days for this Edition’s two-tone and pinstripe finish, about twice its usual two-tone process. Forged five-hole wheels are color-matched in Olive Metallic to complete the surface continuity. The process begins with mathematical precision: spray patterns calculated to achieve perfect color depth across body curves that would challenge Renaissance sculptors.
The MANUFAKTUR Olive Metallic upper section flows over the Obsidian Black Metallic base, separated by hand-applied Hightech Silver Metallic pinstripes. These demand Swiss watchmaker precision. The surface measures 16 feet long instead of 1.6 inches wide. Each stripe requires template alignment accurate to within millimeters, followed by freehand finishing work that separates craftspeople from production line workers. The slightest tremor, sneeze, or moment of inattention ruins hours of previous work and forces complete section repainting.
The stretched hood and upright grille carry Maybach’s classic form language, while the Olive-over-Black scheme visually lengthens the sedan’s stance. The two-tone layout doesn’t just flaunt craftsmanship—it enhances proportions that define Maybach design DNA. This timeline represents intentional craftsmanship bottlenecks rather than artificial production limits. Mercedes designed these processes to ensure genuine exclusivity through manufacturing complexity that cannot be rushed or replicated at scale.
Interior Craftsmanship That Justifies Mortgage Payments
Edition-specific touches include Saddle Brown Nappa, burr walnut, a diamond-quilted headliner, and a ‘1 of 50’ console badge. Owners also receive silver-plated champagne flutes, a key gift box with a matching ring, and a Saddle Brown-edged trunk mat. The attention extends to areas most manufacturers ignore. Ceiling surfaces receive the same quilted leather treatment as seats and door panels.
Every stitch requires individual attention to maintain consistent depth and color saturation. The leather selection process alone takes weeks, as Mercedes artisans reject hides with even microscopic imperfections that would be acceptable in lesser luxury vehicles. Hand-embroidered V12 Edition logos appear throughout the cabin via headrests, stitched by craftspeople whose precision rivals haute couture ateliers.
Beyond visual luxury, the cabin is engineered as a soundstage: silence when cruising, then a carefully tuned V12 resonance that seeps in only when pressed. Even ambient lighting is tuned to refract subtly off burr walnut veneers, emphasizing warmth over glare.
Twelve Cylinders of Beautiful Inefficiency
US-market S 680 output remains 621 hp and 664 lb-ft from the 6.0-liter biturbo V12 with 4MATIC and rear-axle steering. European coverage quotes 612 hp due to different rating standards. Mercedes quotes a 0–62 mph time of 4.5 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph, remarkable figures for a sedan weighing over 5,200 pounds. Numbers that sound impressive until you realize modern turbocharged six-cylinder engines deliver similar performance with half the cylinders and twice the fuel economy. This powertrain represents everything contemporary automotive engineering abandoned: massive displacement, complex cylinder configurations, and maintenance schedules that would bankrupt normal people.
The V12’s significance transcends raw power figures. This engine requires 12 pistons, 24 valves, dual turbochargers, and cooling systems complex enough to challenge aerospace engineers. All to deliver smoothness and sound that no smaller engine can replicate. The additional complexity increases manufacturing costs, service intervals, and potential failure points while providing benefits that exist purely in the realm of sensory experience rather than practical transportation.
Mercedes pairs this V12 with all-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering that transforms 5,000 pounds of luxury sedan into something surprisingly agile around corners that most owners will never attempt. The engineering achievement lies not in making this sedan fast. Plenty of cars accelerate quicker. The achievement is making it feel effortless while carrying enough leather, wood, and gold to furnish a small palace.
The Heritage Tribute, Not Farewell
Production is limited to 50 cars for select markets. Pricing is unannounced. Reports indicate first deliveries begin in fall 2025. The hand-applied paint processes, 24-carat gold medallions, and bespoke interior treatments justify premium pricing that places this sedan in territory traditionally occupied by Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Where Rolls-Royce hides wealth under restraint and Bentley ties it to performance, Maybach amplifies it as theater.
Only 50 customers worldwide receive allocation, making the V12 Edition rarer than Ferrari’s LaFerrari (499 units) or Bugatti Chiron (500 units), yet defined by craftsmanship complexity instead of sheer speed. Each sedan becomes a collector item before leaving the factory, representing Mercedes-Maybach’s commitment to twelve-cylinder heritage in an increasingly electric world.
This Edition ignores the design industry’s shift toward recycled materials and carbon metrics, embracing indulgence as a design statement in itself. While Rolls-Royce experiments with sustainable veneers and Bentley targets full electrification by 2030, Maybach celebrates everything the industry is abandoning. This run reads like a tribute to twelve-cylinder heritage rather than a finale. The V12 Edition’s gold medallions echo the 1930s Maybach Zeppelin DS 8, when hand-built luxury defined automotive excellence before mass production changed everything. Mercedes has indicated the V12 continues in selected markets. For buyers willing to pay any price to avoid the electric future, the V12 Edition offers the ultimate internal combustion statement. Wrapped in artisan paint, adorned with real gold, and powered by twelve cylinders that burn premium fuel like a celebration of everything the automotive industry abandoned in pursuit of a more sensible tomorrow.
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