Is A Used 2006 Brabus Maybach 57S Worth More Than A Brand New Mercedes-Maybach S650?

Back in 2012, Daimler ended the Maybach experiment, putting an end to the standalone super luxury brand which had failed at its mission to beat Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

The Maybach name returned in 2015 but it was “relegated” to the status of a top-end trim for the S-Class sedan (and later S-Class Cabriolet and G650 Landaulet). The era of standalone Maybach models was gone for good.

Today we have a treat for those of you who are nostalgic about the ‘real’ Maybach models: a low-mileage 2006 Maybach 57S with extra pizzazz from Brabus. This particular car with only 14,800 km (9,196 miles) on the odometer is actually advertised on the German tuner’s website for less than half the price it cost when new.

Watch: The Maybach 57S May Have Lost $300,000 In Value, But It’s Still As Luxurious As Ever

Mind you, at €199,900 ($223,175) including German VAT, it still costs a ton of money. To put things into perspective, it’s more expensive than its modern-day equivalent, the $202,550 Mercedes-Maybach S650.

Look at it this way: if you were to buy it fresh from the Brabus shop in 2006 it would have set you back a whopping €504,804 ($563,600) – not accounting for inflation – so some may see this as a pretty good deal. You can have a bespoke, true Maybach 57S with Brabus tuning for slightly more than what you’d pay for a brand new Mercedes-Maybach S650 which, for all its qualities, is still an S-Class.

Speaking of Brabus tuning, this 2006 Maybach 57S features extensive modifications to the stock 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine. Displacement was enlarged to 6.3 liters, resulting in a maximum output of 730 PS (720 HP) and a peak torque of 1,320 Nm (974 lb-ft) at 1,750 rpm – electronically limited to 1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft) for the sake of the transmission’s structural integrity.

Thanks to the extra 118 PS (117 HP) and 100 Nm (74 lb-ft), the Brabus-tuned Maybach 57S can go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds and top out at 300 km/h (186 mph).

As you can imagine, Brabus did more than just modify the engine of the 57S. It also fitted 21-inch Brabus Monoblock VI alloys shod with Dunlop tires (275/40 R 21 front, 315/35 R 21 rear) and a lowering module for the Airmatic suspension to give the opulent sedan a more dynamic appearance.

Since the Maybach 57S came fully loaded, interior changes were restricted to the addition of 320-km/h (199-mph) speedometers (front and rear), TV tuners, and Brabus’ signature aluminum door lock pins.