The Emir of… Athens and his incredible car (+video)

A sojourn by a caput of authorities to Athens seldom goes unnoticed by car enthusiasts. And erstwhile the visitant is the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the motorcade that crossed the Greek superior yesterday connected its mode to the Maximos Mansion carried a chiseled aura of prestige.

Inevitably, the spotlight fell connected the Mercedes-Maybach S 580 e, the flagship plug-in hybrid saloon that transported the Sheikh during his visit.

This peculiar exemplary is not simply a luxury car. It marks a milestone for Maybach, arsenic it is the archetypal plug-in hybrid successful the past of the iconic German marque.

Beneath its agelong beforehand bonnet lies a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder petrol motor producing 367 hp and 500 Nm of torque, paired with a 150 kW electrical motor.

Together, they present a combined output of 510 hp and 750 Nm of torque, propelling this heavyweight saloon from 0 to 100 km/h successful conscionable 5.1 seconds, with an electronically constricted apical velocity of 250 km/h. Its 28 kWh artillery provides an all-electric scope of up to 100 kilometres, a wide denotation that Maybach is present taking electrification seriously.

On the outside, the car is defined by its imposing chrome grille bearing the Maybach lettering, the optional two-tone overgarment decorativeness and the unmistakable consciousness that 1 is looking astatine thing exceptional. At 5.47 metres long, it does not walk unnoticed successful immoderate country of the city.

Inside, the doctrine is simple: the rear-seat rider is king. A 12.8-inch cardinal OLED display, heated and ventilated seats, a dedicated «Maybach» suspension programme that smooths retired roadworthy imperfections for rear passengers, an automatic seatbelt extender activated erstwhile the doorway closes, and a top-tier dependable strategy make an interior that feels similar a backstage pitchy connected wheels.

As for the price, successful the British marketplace the «standard» Maybach S 580 exceeds €195,000, portion the hybrid S 580 e is expected to beryllium adjacent higher, good supra €220,000. In Greece, erstwhile taxes are added, 1 should cipher astir different €100,000 connected top.

Sheikh Tamim’s visit, his archetypal to Athens successful 2 years, forms portion of a broader effort to fortify Greek-Qatari relations. His gathering with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis astatine the Maximos Mansion focused connected developments successful the Middle East, Greece’s enactment for Gulf countries successful the look of Iranian attacks, and the forging of caller economical ties. The Qatar Investment Authority has already committed to investments of much than €1 cardinal successful the Greek economy, with vigor astatine the centre of that strategy. During the meeting, the Emir expressed his gratitude for Greece’s stance and signalled an volition to further grow Qatar’s concern beingness successful the country.

It is nary coincidence that Qatar chose this peculiar exemplary for its Emir. In the Middle East, Maybach enjoys a peculiar presumption arsenic a awesome of the highest societal rank. The S 580 e successful particular, combining cutting-edge exertion with implicit luxury, fits perfectly with the quality of a authorities sojourn of this calibre. On the streets of an Athens seeking to reaffirm its relation arsenic a superior geopolitical subordinate successful the Eastern Mediterranean, the beingness of this Maybach served arsenic a fitting prelude to a gathering of sizeable significance.

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