Mercedes-Maybach S600 Laps the Nurburgring, Overtakes Toyota Supra

But even so, seeing the Mercedes-Maybach S600 lap the track feels a bit weird. It's no real surprise since manufacturers benchmark all their vehicles there these days, but that doesn't make it any less odd. We've become impervious to the sight of SUVs going as fast as they can around the Nurburgring track without flipping over, and yet a large limousine instantly makes our eyebrow raise.

This is a car that will reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in just five seconds, while offering all this time a level of luxury in the back that would satisfy a sheik. The Mercedes-Maybach S600 has a six-liter V12 turbo engine with 530 hp, so it's not exactly underpowered, and the thing is it doesn't even weigh all that much at 5,147 lbs (2,335 kg).

That's only slightly more than a Tesla Model S and considerably less than a Model X SUV - not that the two EVs would fit much better in the scenery here. However, it's the length of the Maybach that makes it feel unsuited for this kind of driving, and watching the video will make this plenty obvious.

Even though it has an apt driver, no question about that (and also a brave one to boot), you can see the Mercedes limousine struggling to maintain anything at least resembling a racing line. The tires are squealing in agony as they try to contain the weight that pulls it sideways after each corner, making it hard for the German luxury sedan to maintain its dignity.

The Mercedes-Maybach S600 is getting ready for a facelift together with the rest of the S-Class range, but it looks like it doesn't sit idly waiting for it. Toward the end of the video, there's a brief moment of relief for the Maybach. Somehow, the luxo-barge manages to overtake a Toyota Supra, even though the Japanese classic does look like it was running low on gas and the driver was trying to preserve the fuel. Still, an overtake is an overtake.