Taking a lap in the lap of luxury, and deserving every minute.(News)

Byline: Dutch Mandel

What is the most hedonistic, sybaritic, over-the-top thing you can do when testing one of the most hedonistic, sybaritic, over-the-top cars on the road?

It is to lounge in glorious, luxurious repose and let someone else drive, daaahling, while you sup on sugared dates and wash your feet with sparkling mineral water. Indeed, you'd no doubt like to find yourself in full recline, with a leggy, blond, northern European "guide'' sharing secrets of the exotic world around you, and Lars the chauffeur assuming his position: eyes straight ahead, ears closed, mouth shut, foot to the floor.

Do not begin to say this isn't the perfect way in which to evaluate the Maybach 62S, for it is. The 62, as opposed to its tinier Maybach 57 brother, is a high-speed uberlounge on wheels that allows six-foot-two-inch passengers to lie completely horizontal in back, if they so choose, and still nestle their heads on the softest pillow on the planet. The car begs for a professional driver to take the wheel, which is a pity, really, because the 62S-the S stands for Spezial-is a chariot you'll want to take the reins of yourself. Parent company Mercedes-Benz boosted this 6.0-liter V12 engine's output to 604 hp, which peaks between a thumping 4800 and 5100 rpm (a generous 9 percent improvement over the entry-level Maybach 62, which puts just 550 hp to the rear wheels). When trying to move a 7400-pound-plus ride, torque counts most, especially when Lars eases into the throttle. You expect-and get-a locomotive tug at your viscera as a whoosh propels with quiet velocity; 1000 Nm (that's 738 lb-ft to the metrically challenged) of torque is delivered between 2000 and 4000 rpm. The Maybach 62S has pulling power and speed as it goes from a standstill to 60 mph in five seconds and is speed limited to 155 mph.

If you are a devotee of the original Maybach 62, you will note several exterior changes. A larger, more pronounced grille trumpets the car's arrival wherever it goes, and a modified headlamp cluster has darker eyes. All 62S models sit on 20-inch Michelin tires designed to couple high-speed touring and low road noise.

Klaus Nesser, CEO of ...