A lot of people have criticized the new Mercedes Maybach for looking two much like the S Class upon which it’s based. In fact, they look pretty much identical. We think it’s not such a bad thing, because at least this time Mercedes-Benz is not pretending.

One of the reasons why the previous Maybach turned out to be a failure was that it insisted on pretending to be something better and greater than it was. And what it was, was a slightly uglier S Class with some fancy chairs and more wood on the dashboard. At least with the new Mercedes Maybach S500 you know you are buying a higher trim level of the S Class.

The new Mercedes Maybach is also cool because it looks understated, precisely because it looks like a normal S Class. Granted, it’s not exactly what you call discreet. But compared with a Rolls-Royce Phantom or Bentley Mulsanne, this car is practically invisible. So if you are a very important man who needs to keep a low profile for whatever reason, the Maybach is the car for you.

Mercedes Maybach S500 is powered by a V8 biturbo engine developing 455 hp and 700 Nm of torque. In these photos, courtesy of Alain Class Motors, we get to have a closer look at the car inside and out: