New V12 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class marks 100 years of Maybach

Mercedes-Maybach has previewed a single picture of its latest S-Class limousine that's been created to celebrate 100 years since the first Maybach 22/70 HP W3 rolled off the line in 1922.

Based on the latest Z223 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class that was unveiled late last year, the new anniversary model is set to introduce the luxury car-maker's twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 that is no longer offered in the latest W223 Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Under the bonnet of the 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class the heavily revised V12 is set to gain new 48-volt mild-hybrid tech that should boost total power to well in excess of 450kW – a significant hike over the 52kW the first 5.7-litre inline six-cylinder Maybach produced.

The new Mercedes-Maybach, which is expected to be called the S 680, will be the only model left powered by the V12, with even the upcoming high-performance Mercedes-AMG S 73e set to be powered by a plug-in hybrid twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8.

High emissions is the reason the V12 has been culled from lesser Mercedes-Benz models, with even the Mercedes-Maybach GLS likely to miss out on the smooth-spinning 6.0-litre.

Mercedes-Maybach has flirted in the past with full pure-electric powertrains for its ultra-luxurious models, but there's no word on whether the Rolls-Royce and Bentley rival plans to rebody the recently-revealed Mercedes-Benz EQS.

Instead, the next model in the Mercedes-Maybach pipeline is likely to be a supersized replacement for the old S-Class Pullman.