THREE ON A MATCH.(News)(Daimler's Maybach, BMW Group's Rolls-Royce and Volkswagen's Bentley Arnage )(Product/Service Evaluation)

Byline: PAUL HORRELL

Normally, the three great German carmaking corporations mercilessly shadowbox each other. Think C-Class, 3 Series and A4. Not so with their luxury mega-cars. At the summits of the three corporate mountains, Daimler's Maybach, BMW Group's Rolls-Royce and Volkswagen's Bentley Arnage are diverse enough that comparisons aren't straightforward. You can see why. The Bentley was conceived long before the VW takeover (though VW pulled the short-lived BMW engine and revamped the traditional Bentley V8), and the new Rolls-Royce has extensive British input.

The Maybach's character is simplest to sum up. It is a hyper-Mercedes, an ultra S-Class with more power, more luxury and more space. An S-Class driver would feel at home. The driving position and control layout don't differ at all, even if the level of cabin jewelry is in an altogether higher league.

But it isn't exactly an S-Class to drive. First, there's the military-spec thrust from its twin-turbo V12 engine, rated at 550 horsepower, with 664 lb-ft of torque from just 1800 rpm. To produce smooth shifts with so much torque is quite an achievement, but the five-speed transmission does it effortlessly. Truly determined use of the throttle pedal will summon a magnificent if muted V12 chorus; otherwise this is as near to silent propulsion as the car industry can manage. The Maybach is the quietest, smoothest way to do a steady 150 mph on a road. Sadly its steering, using an old-fashioned recirculating-ball box, lacks sharpness and feedback, the payback being remarkable isolation from road shocks. Once rolling at any decent pace, ride comfort from the Airmatic suspension is top-notch and body movements are well enough damped for this giant to be swerved at sports-car speeds. Sounds like a crazy idea, looks mad, feels just fine.

The Rolls-Royce is more sedate. It's quieter in general and smoother, particularly at low speeds. But as the pace picks up, so does the wind noise. The V12 oozes along more effortlessly than the Maybach's, but when you really want to get along, the kickdown strategy is less consistent and can't match the sheer urge provided by Stuttgart's two turbos. It also leans more in corners, so the strategy for smooth driving is to turn in early, let the sway settle down, and then apply a dignified amount of throttle. That way the Rolls reveals nicer steering than the Maybach.

The ...