Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Auto

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class special edition honors Robbe & Berking Classics shipyard

Mercedes-Maybach creates a bespoke luxury sedan to honor a restored racing yacht

By

Direct frontal view of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class inspired by the Robbe & Berking SPHINX 12m racing yacht.
Mercedes-Maybach created a one-off special edition Mercedes-Maybach S-Class 680 in honor of the 150th anniversary of Flensbury, Germany-based silver manufacturer Robbe & Berking. The silver company’s silver-plated champagne goblets are frequently ordered for a rear-seat cooling compartment in the luxurious Mercedes-Maybach sedans.

The bespoke Mercedes-Maybach’s colors match those of a celebrated racing yacht, the Sphinx, restored in 2008 by Robbe & Berking Classics shipyard, a division of the silver company.

Recommended Videos

Why the Maybach S-Class special edition matters

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class inspired by the Robbe & Berking SPHINX 12m racing yacht.
According to Mercedes-Maybach, the special edition sedan honors the two firms’ common values. Mercedes-Maybach’s parent company shows its respect for classic automobiles from the company’s history, such as the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing.

Related: 
Upgrade your daily routine with the best smartwatches for men

“Like the yacht SPHINX, our exclusive Mercedes-Maybach S-Class anniversary vehicle epitomizes craftsmanship, elegance, and attention to detail. We congratulate Robbe & Berking on their anniversary and look forward to continuing our successful collaboration,” said Daniel Lescow, Head of Mercedes-Maybach.

Special features for a special car

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and the Robbe & Berking SPHINX 12m racing yacht.The Sphinx is a 12-meter racing yacht built in 1939. Known as the “night-blue beauty” in the yacht racing world, it was the first classic wooden yacht Robbe & Berkings Classics restored. The one-off Mercedes-Maybach colors match the yacht. The upper sections are nautical blue metallic. The car’s lower section is Manufaktur patgonia red bright. A pinstripe in Manufaktur opalite white metallic separates the colors at the Sphinx’s waterline.

The special edition Mercedes-Maybach interior features Nappa leather in crystal white, diamond quilting, and Orion gray decorative stitching. According to Mercedes-Maybach, the gray and white combination evokes sails. The luxury sedan is also built with luxury features such as rear electric comfort doors, high-end surround sound, a rear entertainment system, and a back seat cooling compartment with two Robbe & Berking silver goblets.

The special edition Mercedes-Maybach S 680 is not available for purchase as it has been reserved for a customer.

Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A Digital Trends Contributing Editor and Contributor for TheManual.com, Bruce Brown writes e-mobility reviews and covers…
Topics

Editors’ Recommendations

Alpine F1 team will use Mercedes power units and gearboxes starting in 2026
With the new agreement, Alpine will be power unit customers, no longer potential suppliers to other teams.
Alpine and Mercedes-AMG F1 race cars.

After Renault's Alpine announced the decision to cease making engines for F1 race cars after 2025, that left open the question of where Alpine's F1 team would turn to source their engines. We now know the answer. Beginning in the 2026 season, Mercedes will supply the power units for Alpine's F1 race car. Mercedes will also supply the gearboxes used in the cars in 2026. The agreement to use Mercedes power units lasts through 2030, but Alpine plans to build and use their own gearbox starting in 2027.
Why Alpine's decision is a big deal
When Alpine disclosed it would cease building engines for F1 cars, it was a sea change for the manufacturer. Alpine and parent company Renault have historically been engine suppliers, providing engines to their F1 team and other teams. With the new agreement, Alpine will be power unit customers, no longer potential suppliers to other teams.
What the power unit supply deal means
The 2025 season will be the last season for the current power units. In 2026, F1 race cars and power units will be subject to next-generation FIA F1 rules and regulations. The new power units will have internal combustion engines that run on 100% biofuels and will use battery power more than the current power units.

Alpine will continue to build F1 engines at its Viry-Chatillon, France division through the end of the 2025 season, after which it will be re-purposed to Hypertech Alpine. Alpine's Enstone, UK division will continue to focus on the F1 race car's chassis.

Read more
Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar beats its own record lap time on the Ring
The AMG ONE competes with itself and wins
Mercedes-AMG ONE on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife close frontal view.

Mercedes-AMG recently announced that the AMG ONE hypercar broke its own record on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. Also called the Ring, this 20.832-km ( 12.94 miles) track in Germany is a standard testing ground for performance cars. The Mercedes-AMG ONE with F1 technology is the first production vehicle to complete a single lap of the circuit in less than 6:30 minutes. The official time was 6:29.090 minutes. That time is more than five seconds faster than the previous record, achieved by the AMG ONE in 2022.
Why the AMG ONE lap record matters

A car with the record time on the Ring gets worldwide bragging rights, but it means more than that to Mercedes-AMG. In addition to raising the bar for the company's production vehicles, attaining and then besting the record gives the team a chance to get the most out of the car, demonstrating their drive and ability.

Read more
F1-inspired Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ Motorsport Collectors Edition
Mercedes-AMG added looks that kill to the track-ready super sportscar
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ Motorsport Collectors Edition left front three-quarter view.

Mercedes-AMG pays homage to the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team with the 2025 AMG GT 63 Pro 4MATIC+ Motorsports Collectors Edition. Limited to only 200 cars, this AMG has many style and design details that signify the relationship to the F1 race car.
Why Mercedes-AMG released a limited unit car linked to the F1 team

Formula 1 racing, or F1, is attracting worldwide attention, and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team is one of the most successful F1 teams overall. The GT 63 Pro 4MATIC+ is a track-ready road car with upgraded handling, power, enhanced cooling, better aerodynamics, and race-ready brakes, wheels, and tires. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team isn't only a racing team. It's also a test lab focusing on extracting every possible performance advantage from the components of the F1 race cars. AMG road cars benefit from the technologies that make the F1 race faster.

Read more