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2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580 First Drive | This thing rules

I can’t help but giggle to myself cruising around in the 2022 Mercedes-Maybach S 580. It is so absurdly good at its intended purpose. Just like a Porsche 911 is to performance, the latest Maybach is to all-out luxury. Much of the MaybachÂ’s goodness is thanks to the excellence of the new S-Class. Technological innovations like rear-wheel steering, E-Active Body Control and the latest MBUX software systems, all found in the new S-Class, establish a very lofty floor for the Maybach version of the car to build upon. And yes, when you pay the Maybach S 580Â’s exorbitant $185,950 base price, you get a whole lot more than just the standard S-Class experience. Appearances are half the battle with mega-luxury yachts like this car. The Rolls-Royces and Bentleys of the world are formidable on the road, and this Mercedes-Maybach puts up a good fight. It all starts with the 7-inch-longer wheelbase, most of which youÂ’ll see represented in the massive “comfort rear doors.” And we do mean “comfort” — they electronically swing open or shut via a switch on the ceiling or via a touch to the pop-out door handles. A massive radiator-style grille replaces the comparatively subdued grille in the standard S-Class. The C-pillar is noticeably more upright in the Maybach, and it features a light-up Maybach logo that reminds everybody about how rich you are, even at night.  And lastly, thereÂ’s the utterly breathtaking two-tone paint — pictured in Obsidian Black/Manufaktur Diamond White here — that costs $12,750 extra, but is genuinely worth the coin. Robots first spray the whole body in the lower halfÂ’s color, then the dividing line is hand-painted before both it and the lower part of the car is masked off for the top color to be hand-applied by MercedesÂ’ expert painters. There are lots of steps that were just left out, but know that the process can take up to a week in the custom paint shop before the body is returned to the regular production process. The end result of all these changes is a sedan that is both deeply different in character but also recognizable as the S-Class it is based on. ItÂ’s also just as imposing and rich-looking as a Bentley Flying Spur, so donÂ’t worry about being out-classed in the country club parking lot. Deciding which seat to occupy — the driverÂ’s seat, or the lounge-like rear seat — on the way to said country club might be the most difficult decision any Maybach S 580 owner will have to make on any given day.

Mercedes has already booked 30k orders for new S-Class

When Toyota snags 30,000 Corolla orders over a three-month span, it's entirely possible we're in the midst of a global economic collapse and that the end is nigh. That's because the scale for Toyota is so very large. Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, operates on a much smaller scale, particularly when we talk about its higher-end models, like the S-Class.
In 2012, Mercedes sold 65,000 of its flagship sedans in Germany and the EU. That's 178 units per day, for 365 days. Based on that, you can imagine the excitement at Stuttgart when it accepted 30,000 orders for the new S-Class in just three months. That's an average of 333 per day on a continent with a notoriously shaky economy. Now, admittedly, this enthusiasm could wane as the refitted S-Class becomes more common and Mercedes achieves market saturation in Europe's many chauffeur and livery services, but Mercedes isn't choosing to look at it that way.
"The new S-Class has already jumped back into the lead in terms of new vehicle registrations in Germany and its neighboring European countries," Mercedes-Benz head of sales and marketing, Ola Kaellenius, said in a statement last week.

Daimler could sell off Li-Tec's EV battery business

Five-plus years may have been about enough time for Daimler AG to know whether it wanted to be in the battery-pack production business. The Mercedes-Benz parent may stop making electric-vehicle batteries and ultimately sell its Li-Tec battery-cell factory in Germany within two years, according to Bloomberg News which cites Manager Magazin. The beneficiary may be LG Electronics, which would likely take over battery-production duties for models such as Daimler's Smart ED battery-electric vehicle. Daimler is taking a number of steps to improve profit margins, which are thinner than those of its German rivals like BMW. Like its German competition, the company has lagged behind companies such as Nissan, Renault and Tesla Motors in terms of aggressively pursuing growth via plug-in vehicle sales. Daimler spokesman Hendrik Sackmann, in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen, would only say that the battery business is growing "rapidly" and that Li-Tec is developing "according to our plans." "Regarding Li-Tec, we are working on a concept for the future line-up," he added. "The battery cells for the successor of the Smart electric drive won't be provided by Li-Tec." Daimler in 2008 launched Li-Tec as a joint venture with Evonik, though Daimler recently put plans together to buy out Evonik's 50-percent share of Li-Tec, Bloomberg reported last month. Evonik's role was manufacturing electrodes and separators for batteries. Daimler also said last fall that it was looking to cooperate more extensively with Tesla in regards to electric vehicle development. The two companies first said they'd work together in 2009. Featured Gallery 2013 Smart Fortwo ED View 16 Photos News Source: Bloomberg NewsImage Credit: Daimler Green Plants/Manufacturing Mercedes-Benz battery