(By Tom Lohnes) – Well folks, Mercedes-Benz produced their last V12 engine last year in the final S65 sedan. But Mercedes continues the V12 heritage, just through one of their sub brands, Maybach. Meet the all-new, all-wheel-drive, Maybach S680, with 12 cylinders.

These days a V12 in any form is a rarity. Usually a screaming naturally-aspirated unit reserved for the top tier of Italian supercar, it is refreshing to see a 12-holer from Stuttgart. Fed by two turbochargers, this 6.0-liter V12 has 604 horses and a whopping torque figure of over 700 lb-ft. A new, ultra-high-strength AWD system is being used in this car, because there aren’t many systems out there capable of supporting this much torque in this heavy a car. Outside, the S680 looks distinctly S-class, and looks nearly identical to the shorter, V8-powered S580 Maybach.

So, will this new Maybach be on your list for the next quarter-million-dollar V12 sedan that will depreciate like a bag of bricks? I can’t wait until these things are like $5,000 in 20 years, just like the 12-cylinder Maybach 57 and 62 of old.