Odd Mercedes S600 Royale Brought Back into Focus by New Video

Over a year ago, this one-off Mercedes emerged and captured a lot of criticism. "What were those SLR and SLS bits doing there?" they said. A rumor which later turned out to be false emerged, that this was Fisker's personal car.

Luck would have it that the Royale is parked next to a brand new GLC-Class, so you can see how odd it looks. Taking the headlights from one car and putting them on another is never a good idea. But there's also the question of money - spending Ferrari money on a car just to make it unique will always result in people calling you an idiot. Money can't buy you good taste... and that kind of stuff.

But calling a unique car "ugly" is missing the point. The attention to detail is incredible, and it pays homage to the classic 600 in clever ways. For example, the cowl of the hood going from the slim grille to the windshield. They've also kept the horizontal vents next to the headlights.

The wheels are also a nice touch, resembling those on the new Maybach S650 Cabriolet. But the side of the Royale and especially the rear are hard to explain. You see, the original dictators' limo was forgettable from those angles, so the designers added vents from the SLR and taillights from the SLS.

But who made this car and for who? Well, the leading theory is that Galpin Auto Sports, known for their custom metalwork, made the one-off for a wealthy California businessman. But a new theory has arisen. Apparently, a Russian company named Bilenkin is behind the 600 Royale.

You might remember them from that M3 turned retro Russian coupe project a while back. Anyway, here's the 5-minute walkaround video. See if you can spot anything we didn't.