The Ultimate Guide to the 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL’s Hidden V12 Engine

Discover the ultimate guide exposing the hidden V12 engine in the 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL, preparing you for the unexpected.

Mercedes-Maybach is cutting down on size as the new-generation SL should be treated like a luxury vehicle after the S-Class, GLS, and EQS. Yes, as we can see from the spy photos, the roadster developed by Mercedes-AMG will soon get an official Maybach makeover.

Some appearance of this prototype was hidden while being publicly tested on German roads. More precisely, behind the hallucinogenic vinyl stickers was the entire face, a part of the profile, and most of the rear bumper including the trunk logo and the diffusor.

Upon initial observation, the grille appears to be the standard Panamericana element used on the majority of Mercedes-AMG’s contemporary automobiles. Still, it is notable that the most recent Mercedes-Maybach vehicles have a comparable component, but with more chrome and vertical slats.

The front bumper appears to be new, and unlike the most recent AMG SL 63 S E Performance which has multiple air vents along its length, this one appears to be single and long. Changes have also been made to the side skirts, as have the stickers on the trunk lid, and the camouflage on the front fenders possibly hides new trim and a Maybach insignia.

Additionally, we can see that the rear bumper now has a very clean diffusor with cutouts for two oval exhaust pipes, one on each side, in place of the previous aggressive diffusor. The wheels appear to be center-locking and are the same as the SL 63 S E Performance, but the absence of a charging outlet at the back indicates that this model is not equipped with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

The latest Mercedes-AMG SL 63 SE Performance model has an electric motor in the back in addition to the popular 4.0L bi-turbo, which together produce 805 horsepower (816 PS/600 kW) and 1,047 pound-feet (1,420 Nm) of torque. That’s still a lot of power, but it’s slightly less than the combined 831 horsepower (843 PS/620 kW) in the AMG GT S E Performance four-door coupe.

The Mercedes-AMG SL 63 SE Performance accelerates to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.9 seconds, which is seven-tenths faster than the SL 63 normal. It can also reach 197 mph (317 km/h). That means it’s a roadster wrapped in a supercar. With a top speed of 196 mph (316 km/h), the GT 63 S E Performance is just as fast, albeit with less torque (1,033+ lb-ft/1,400 Nm).

So what’s the weapon of the next Mercedes-Maybach SL? A 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 is the most likely configuration. The Mercedes-Maybach S 580 4Matic’s engine generates 516 pound-feet (700 Nm) of torque and 496 horsepower (503 ps/370 kW), allowing the vehicle to accelerate from 60 mph (0-97 km/h) in 4.7 seconds. Assuming the SL has the same output and thrust as the luxury car, it should reach sixty mph faster since it’s lighter and smaller.

The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class with a V12 engine is also available in the S 680 4Matic configuration. With two turbos and 6.0 liters of displacement, the engine is a handcrafted beast that can produce 621 horsepower (630 ps/463 kW) and 664 pound-feet (900 Nm) of torque. Compared to the S 580 4Matic, it hits 60 mph in less than two seconds.

However, we wouldn’t be eagerly waiting for a V12 to appear under the hood of the Mercedes-Maybach SL for several reasons. First, without some significant adjustments, it probably won’t fit, and that would drive up the cost even more. Second, with so many V8s available, including an electrified one, the SL is already plenty fast and doesn’t need a V12 motor. So it will probably only benefit from V8 firepower. Nor should the AMG SL 43’s four-pot be included in the lineup – after all, who would want a Maybach with a 2.0-liter engine?

The Maybach SL could be named similarly to the Maybach S-Class. So it could launch in two versions, perhaps known as the Mercedes-Maybach SL 580 and Mercedes-Maybach SL 680. Naturally, the former will have less power than the latter, and it’s likely that both will launch with a bi-turbo V8. When will that happen, though? It’ll likely be at the end of the year or in 2025, making it a New World model for 2026.

It’s likely that it will be priced significantly higher than the Mercedes-AMG SL 63, which starts at $187,000 (MSRP). The less powerful SL 55, which uses a V8, has a base price of $144,500, while the four-pot SL 43 costs $111,800. At least in the SL 680 configuration, it could easily cost more than $200k, while the SL 580 will probably cost less.