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2021 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 First Drive | Fat cat money

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Do you like the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, but just donÂ’t think itÂ’s fancy or expensive enough as it is? Maybe the AMG version is too audaciously sporty or you'd prefer a completely different flavor of garish. Maybe you donÂ’t want to be seen driving the GLS at all. If youÂ’re looking for the perfect GLS to be driven in, but need to make sure you look more like the type of fat cat to blow money on lavish, boozy dinners and decorative fountains than the pro baller who splurges on a home gym and tennis courts, Mercedes finally has the giant SUV just for you: the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600. Is this tongue-in-cheek straw man in any way indicative of an actual Maybach owner? Who knows. We can barely comprehend how rich someone might be who can afford this $161,525 ultra-luxury SUV (before any options) let alone actually know someone of such largesse. Nevertheless, the GLS upon which it's based is certainly no stranger to us. We first drove the GLS 470 in Austria's Tyrolean Alps, sampled the AMG GLS 63 in the Columbia River Gorge, and nominated its bouncy E-Active Body Control suspension for AutoblogÂ’s 2020 Technology of the Year Award. Most of the same ingredients are present in the Maybach 600, but just one look at this two-tone luxury liner requires you to rethink the scope of what the GLS can do. While the overall body style looks more or less the same, there was no mistaking our tester for an ordinary GLS, or even an extraordinary AMG model. The two-tone paint — Lunar Blue Metallic below, and Iridium Silver Metallic from the beltline up — shouts to passersby (in an aristocratic German accent, presumably) that thereÂ’s something different going on here. The optional wheels, which get their own Maybach design, measure an absolutely massive 23 inches. Perched on the nose is the nearly extinct Mercedes hood ornament. The final giveaway comes when you move in a little closer and see the Maybach badging on the grille, tailgate and D-pillars. But seriously, that paint job is something else. The exterior doesnÂ’t quite do justice to what awaits within. The driverÂ’s door opens to a rich, inviting and clearly technologically advanced cockpit. The dual screen dash housing the instrument panel and infotainment touchscreen is becoming familiar from GLS down to GLA, as are the multitude of controls on the wheel and center console with which one can easily interact with them.

Firing of M-B boss upheld

Ernst Lieb, the disgraced former CEO of American operations for Mercedes-Benz, will not be getting any more money from the Silver Arrow'd teat. His wrongful dismissal suit against MB's parent company, Daimler, was tossed out of a German appeals panel. This, followed the initial rejection by a lower court last year.
According to court documents acquired by Automotive News, Lieb was found to have "accepted payments of substantial value to which he - as he was aware - had no claim."
Lieb took over American operations from former CEO Paul Halata in September of 2006. Reports surfaced in October of 2011 that Lieb was dismissed from his posting at MB, with a variety of rumors swirling. Eventually, news broke that financial wrong doing was responsible for the German's firing.

2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 4Matic Quick Spin [w/video]

Certain expectations come with the name "Mercedes-Benz." We picture cars with luxuriously appointed interiors, fashionable exteriors, Autobahn-worthy performance, and a ride that delivers an optimal balance between agility and outright comfort. Expectations, though, are no friend to the GLA250. This is a car that is deeply confused as to its purpose in life – can it be a proper Mercedes-Benz while still being a reasonably priced, subcompact crossover? After a week behind the wheel, we believe the two are mutually exclusive. Driving Notes The exterior styling is similar to the not-for-America A-Class hatchback, with the only major differences found on the rear end. That means that even with its flashy 19-inch AMG wheels and sport body styling – more aggressive front and rear fascias – the GLA is a stylish piece. We might even call it cute. Considering our 4Matic model's reasonable $34,225 starting price, the interior treatment is both attractive and uses mostly quality finishes. The matte Satin Light Brown Poplar wood ($325) covers a large portion of the dash, while the real metal found on the air conditioning vents is elegant and handsome. There is a lot of plastic in the cabin: It's soft on the dash, and switches to a piano-black finish in spots, but the center console and door finishers don't feel like they came from the Mercedes parts bin. In general, the GLA's cabin feels roughly equal to that of the Audi Q3 and BMW X1 – nice, but a step lower than what we've come to expect from Mercedes. The two-piece, leather-lined seats look great, but even with standard 14-way adjustability, they lack support. The bottom cushion is very flat, and doesn't support the legs. For this author, that's a recipe for near-constant back pain. That said, the chairs do look good, especially in the brown of this test car. The GLA250, like a few other models in the Mercedes range, uses a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder, delivering a weak 208 horsepower. It makes up for that shortcoming with 258 pound-feet of torque from 1,250 rpm to 4,000 rpm. On paper, this sounds good, but in the real world, the 2.0T's power is tough to access. That's due more to the shortcomings of the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic than the engine itself. With three modes – Eco, Sport, and Manual – we thought we'd find at least one that could serve up precise downshifts.