A Rich History: The Evolution of AMG and the Birth of the 2025 Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram

A Rich History

The story of the 2025 SL 680 Monogram series begins from where the base inspiration came out to be, the "AMG." AMG’s story goes back to when two passionate engineers from Mercedes in the mid 1960s had begun working together on a racing engine that was to be placed inside the Mercedes 300 SE sedan from the Development Department at Daimler-Benz. The passionate engineers were Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, respectively. Daimler-Benz at that time discontinued all of their motorsport activities before their new engine could make its debut in the races.

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This obstacle, however, did not stop them from continuing their work at the engine at Erhard’s house in Grossaspach with the time they could spare. During the year 1965, Hans and Erhard entered the 300 SE in the German touring car championship and won a surprising 10 races. This led the passionate engineers to push through the limits of daily driving and venture into the true power and limits of automotive performance.

Two years at Daimler-Benz later in 1967, both Hans and Erhard quit the company to form their own business named AMG, using the first and last letters of their surnames as A for Aufrecht, M for Melcher, and the first letter of Aufrecht’s birthplace, Grossaspach. Their goal was to utilise what they have learnt through the track to make daily-driven cars run faster.

Hans & Erhard began another project, which was converting another 300 SE into a racing machine. They replaced the engine in the 300 SEL with a new 6.8 L and named it the Red Pig, which made its debut at the 1971 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and won the first position in its class and went on to winning second position overall. This victory laid the very foundation of AMG and its position within motorsports, where enthusiasts go to modify and tune their Mercedes vehicles.

In 1976, AMG relocated their garage in Burgstall to Affalterbach, where AMG’s headquarters exists even today. Inside the Affalterbach facility, the philosophy of “One Man, One Engine” took its birth, and in their entire history, every single engine of AMG’s V8 has been built by hand. Each craftsman, with their personalised set of tools, builds one engine at a time, from start to finish. After each engine is finished, an individualised placard is placed on the engine cover with the engine builder’s signature.

In the year 1986, AMG brought forth "Hammer" by inserting a 5.6L V8 engine inside the E-class to create the AMG 300 E 5.6. The hammer achieved a legendary status in the world as the hammer could sprint from zero to sixty in five seconds and had a top speed of 286.4 km/h, which made it the fastest German production vehicle at that time.

The Hammer’s success caught Daimler-Benz’s attention, and both of them formed an agreement with Hans & Erhard in 1990 where the AMG cars could be sold and serviced in Mercedes dealerships all over the world. In 1993, the first car developed within the Mercedes-AMG partnership was the C-36 AMG, which equipped a straight inline-6 engine. The C-36 surpassed all expectations and exceeded all sales targets. In 2005, Mercedes-AMG ended up becoming a 100% subsidiary of Daimler AG, and currently serves as the high-performance brand for Mercedes-Benz.

AMG went on to experience major successes in touring car championships, DTM, FIA GT, and customer motorsport, with the SLS AMG GT3, Mercedes-AMG GT3, and Mercedes-AMG GT4 dominating the track. AMG’s entry as Petronas into Formula 1 in 2012 yet again solidified AMG’s position in motorsports, utilising F1 to develop technology that would eventually transfer to road vehicles.

While AMG represents peak performance and sheer power, Maybach symbolises luxury and ever-growing success. Maybach too has a deep-rooted and rich history connecting with Mercedes-Benz. Maybach continues to hold its position as a legendary luxury icon, which adds an extra dimension to the already exclusive luxury vehicle range.

With the rich and passionate pasts within AMG, Mercedes, and Maybach, a new definition of success and luxury has been born and is called the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram series.

The Exteriors

The Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram series bases off its exterior design from the Mercedes-AMG SL 63 roadster and retains the similar angular LED projector headlights and LED DRLs that reflect the SL 680’s imposing presence. The SL 680 receives a Maybach grille and a new bumper design with chrome highlights and numerous Maybach logos for an exclusive appeal. The attention towards detailing oozes luxury as the hood of the SL 680 is given a black finish with dazzling Maybach logos, which is an impressive sight to the eyes.

The side profile of the SL 680 comprises 21-inch forged alloy wheels and a 5-hole monoblock or spoked design, which is native to other Maybach models. The front-fenders of the SL 680 include a chrome trim with a Maybach logo. Other notable design elements are the black rear-view mirrors (ORVMs) and chrome strips on its flush door handles.

The rear design of the SL 680 is again a note of luxury with sleek triangular LED taillights, a dual exhaust, and a chrome strip on the rear bumper. The black soft top has received Maybach logo patterns for the same. The SL 680 is available in two colour options, and they are “red ambience” and “white ambience.”

The Interiors

Inside the cabin of the SL 680 Monogram series, we are greeted with a white cabin theme and white leather seating. The steering wheel is a dual-toned black and white in colour; the upper portion of the dashboard includes a black finish as an additional colour contrast, and the air circulation vents receive a chrome surround; and the centre console is a blend of silver and black colour as well. The steering wheel features an “Maybach” engraving while the accelerator pedal flaunts a Maybach embossing, and the seats also feature the Maybach logo embossing on the backrest.

Features & Safety

The SL 680 Monogram series is loaded with numerous features, which include a 12.3-inch driver’s display and a 11.9-inch touchscreen that is positioned like a portrait, along with a coloured heads-up display (HUD). The SL 680 is also equipped with a fingerprint scanner, a wireless phone charger, a Burmester sound system, dual-zone auto AC, a heated steering wheel, 64-colour ambient lighting, and neck heaters on the seat’s backrests to keep the passenger warm when travelling while the soft-roof is open.

Powertrain & Performance

The Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram series is powered by a 4.0L twin-turbo V8 engine, which generates 585 PS and a torque of 800 Nm with its 9-speed automatic transmission and an AWD (All Wheel Drive) drivetrain. The SL 680 sprints from 0-100 km/h in just 4 seconds before maxing out an electronically limited 260 km/h. The Maybach SL 680 also features rear axle steering, an active suspension setup, along with a rear axle locking differential for assistance during road handling.

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To conclude, the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram series has been priced at INR 4.20 crores, and the bookings of this luxurious roadster are already open, and only three cars will be allocated to India in 2025. The deliveries of the same will begin in the first quarter of 2026.