Maybach is a label of legendary luxury. Associated with the highest of high-end models at Mercedes-Benz, Maybach is Benz shorthand for the absolute maximum of German luxury engineering.

Interestingly, Mercedes is building a Maybach SUV, catchily titled “GLS 600 4Matic,” strictly in the United States. The $175,000 beast, exclusive to the Benz factory in beautiful Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the single most expensive car mass-produced in the United States. Here’s what to know about the Stuttgart thoroughbred built with Alabama knowhow.

How much will the new Maybach SUV cost?

The MSRP for the 2024 Maybach GLS 600 4Matic is $175,000. To put that in perspective, $175,000 is enough for four brand-new Mercedes-Benz CLA coupes. Alternatively, an interested buyer could pick up 10 new Nissan Versas, 20 Kawasaki Ninja motorcycles, or a lovely 3-bedroom, 2-bath home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The Maybach is, in a walk, the most expensive new car being mass-produced in the United States.

The 2024 Mercedes Maybach GLS 600 doesn’t skimp on luxury

Whatever else can be said of Mercedes-Benz, when a buyer lays down serious coin, they get value for their money. The Maybach has an array of magnificently absurd luxury features. Mercedes modestly calls the Maybach “the crown jewel of SUVs” and gives it specs to match. 

First and foremost, the Maybach is a fearsome driving machine. With 550 bhp, 538 lb-ft of torque, and a 0-60 of just 4.7 seconds, the three-ton SUV can worry a BMW 230i M-Sport off the line. It tops out at 155mph, quicker with an optional electric boost.

Of course, the average Maybach customer, if there is such a thing, probably isn’t prioritizing quarter-mile time. Mercedes made the Maybach wildly luxurious, with a top-line AI-enabled onboard computer optimized for conversational voice input.

Each seat has its own independent multimedia display and climate control. Customers can customize the paint scheme to their heart’s content; the stock version has a stunning two-tone black and gold finish.

For just a little extra cash, a buyer can even score a refrigerated compartment in the console, complete with two Robbe and Berking silver champagne flutes.

What are some of the other most expensive cars made in America?

The Maybach GLS has been the most expensive car made solely in America since 2021. Its main contenders for that title have generally been high-performance supercars and many, like the Maybach, weren’t made by American companies.

The Acura NSX, for instance, has a Japanese nameplate but was built in Marysville, Ohio. Priced around $150,000, it was a contender for the priciest American-made car throughout the 2010s. High-end Teslas, many of them made in Freemont, California or Del Valle, Texas, can also clear 6-figure prices.

Finally, the asterisk. One car made in America is decidedly more expensive than the Maybach. The Hennessey Venom, the ludicrous all-carbon-fiber hypercar built by Hennessey Special Vehicles in Sealy, Texas, would cost a customer somewhere between $1.6 and $3 million, depending on model and specs. As fewer than 20 of each model were ever made, the Venom very much does not qualify as “mass-produced.”