Abiola owns a Mercedes-Maybach S580 that cost in the mid-₦200 millions. He also owns a G63, a Rolls-Royce Series 2 and a Lexus LX570. But when asked which car he’d rather drive, he picks the G Wagon. When asked which car he’d rather be driven in, he picks the Maybach. And when asked what people get wrong about his car, he doesn’t hesitate: ‘Most people always call it a glorified S-Class. I strongly disagree.’
Welcome back to Owner’s Corner, where we unpack what it truly means to live with a car in Nigeria.
The Last Born in a Fleet of Heavyweights
Abiola’s Maybach is ‘the last born’, the youngest in a family of luxury vehicles that represent the best of German and Japanese engineering.
But even among heavyweights, the Maybach holds a specific role. It’s not the car he drives when he wants to feel the road. That’s the G Wagon, which gives him ‘comfort, sports, you can kind of switch between those two.’ The Maybach is the car he sinks into when he wants to be driven—reclined, screens up, bass vibrating through the seat-integrated speakers.
‘Definitely to be driven in, I’d go with this, the Maybach,’ he declares.
The S580 runs on a 4-litre V8 engine pushing 496 horsepower. Compare that to the G63’s 577 horsepower, and you might think the Maybach is underpowered. But that’s missing the point.
The Maybach S580 specs
‘It delivers the power quite elegantly,’ Abiola explains. ‘It’s not a rumbly kind of car. It would definitely get you to where you’re going faster, but you might not notice. You might not hear the sound. It’s a very quiet car.’
That’s the Mercedes-Maybach philosophy in a sentence: speed without theatre. The G Wagon roars but the Maybach? It glides.
Inside the Maybach
If you’re buying a Maybach for the engine, you’ve misunderstood the assignment. The interior, and the executive experience that comes with it, is where the Maybach shines.
First, the sound system. Abiola calls it one of the best he’s experienced in any car, courtesy of speakers that are integrated into the seats. When you play music, you don’t just hear the bass—you feel it vibrating through the backrest. Rumour has it there are about 24 speakers scattered throughout the cabin, though Abiola won’t confirm the exact number.
Then there are the seats. They recline almost fully, turning the back of the Maybach into something closer to a first-class airline cabin than a car. ‘You can actually take comfortable naps in this car while you’re being driven around,’ Abiola says.
The dual screens mounted in the headrests give rear passengers full control over the car’s functions: climate, blinds, panoramic roof, radio. And if you’re too lazy to reach forward and tap the screen, you can detach the tablets from the centre console and control everything from your lap.
Even the climate control is zoned. Abiola can have his side warm while his passenger has theirs cold. The ambient lighting is customisable across six or seven colours. Abiola, a dedicated Chelsea fan, keeps it blue.
And then there’s the detail that reminds you this isn’t just any Mercedes: the Maybach logo is everywhere. On the seats. On the dashboard. On the door panels. ‘I think the concept is they want you to remember you’re a special person and you’re not just in a regular S-Class,’ Abiola says. ‘I like that.’
The ‘Glorified S-Class’ Debate
This is where Abiola gets defensive—and rightfully so.
‘Most people always call it a glorified S-Class, but I strongly disagree,’ he says. ‘First of all, there’s so many features you might not see in a base S-Class.’
He starts listing them. The reclining seats. The seat-integrated speakers. The dual-tone paint, which was a $14,000 factory option and is exclusive to the Maybach. The detachable tablets. The 3D gauge cluster on the dashboard, which Abiola didn’t even know Mercedes was making until he saw it in his car.
‘I wasn’t aware that Mercedes actually integrated 3D gauge clusters into their cars,’ he admits. ‘I think this might be exclusive to the Maybach alone.’
And he’s not wrong. The S-Class is luxurious. The Maybach is luxurious and then some. It’s the difference between business class and first class. Technically the same flight, but anyone who’s flown both knows they’re not the same experience.
What It Costs to Own One
Abiola hasn’t had to do much maintenance yet as the car still has relatively low mileage. But he’s not naive about what’s coming.
‘Definitely be prepared to spend money on its maintenance,’ he warns. ‘It’s not a cheap car to maintain. If you’re not financially comfortable enough to buy this car, don’t feel the pressure to get it because it will demand a lot from you.’
He only takes the Maybach to the Mercedes-Benz Centre for servicing. ‘I’m very particular about who I give my car to,’ he says. ‘Even if it’s just a tyre change, I’m always really careful.’
That caution comes from experience. His most expensive repair so far wasn’t on the Maybach—it was on the G63. Rodents got into the car, chewed through some wiring and triggered a cascade of false error messages on the dashboard.
‘That was a costly fix,’ Abiola says, wincing at the memory. ‘You have to do some rewiring in the car.’
Driving a ₦200 Million Car in Lagos
Owning an expensive car in Lagos comes with a specific kind of stress that Abiola knows all too well.
‘It’s a bit hectic, always having to watch out for the bike drivers and people that might not drive responsibly,’ he says. ‘That does always give me a little anxiety when I take this car out.’
The attention doesn’t help. People take pictures at traffic lights. Strangers knock on the window. ‘I’m always happy for people to come down and look at the car and take pictures,’ Abiola says. ‘But it does get a bit too much sometimes.’
Still, he’s learnt to navigate it. He keeps his cool. He doesn’t argue with other drivers. If someone wants to cut into his lane, he lets them. ‘Otherwise you’re going to get your car scratched.’
Maybach vs Rolls-Royce: The Verdict
Abiola has driven both. And while he admits the Rolls-Royce has the edge in pure suspension comfort—’it almost feels like you’re in the clouds’—he still prefers the Maybach overall.
‘This car definitely has way more technology,’ he explains. ‘It’s more driver-integrated. The Rolls-Royce is just a bit too big to drive. And with the rear-axle steering on this car, it really does help when you’re driving because it’s quite long.’
For being driven in, the Rolls-Royce wins. But for everything else—technology, drivability, day-to-day usability—the Maybach takes it.
‘I would still pick this,’ Abiola says. ‘Overall.’
Abiola’s Most Underrated Car and the Car He’s Aching to Drive
If you ask Abiola what his favourite car is, he won’t say the Maybach. He won’t say the G63 or the Rolls-Royce either.
He’ll say the Lexus LC500.
‘It’s underrated,’ he insists. ‘For the price, I don’t think you can do anything better than that. It’s a lovely car to drive.’
It’s a telling answer. Abiola owns cars that cost more than most people will earn in a lifetime, but the car he rates highest isn’t the most expensive one. It’s the one that delivers the most value relative to its price.
Still, even with a fleet as impressive as Abiola’s, there’s always a higher level to unlock. For him, it’s the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. But he doesn’t just want to drive it anywhere. ‘I’d like to drive an Aventador SVJ in Miami. God willing, it will happen soon. That’s my dream car in my dream city,’ he says. When he does it, he promises us to send us a video, so stay tuned for that!
In the meantime, he’ll continue to enjoy cruising in the backseat of his Maybach. ‘It’s a lovely car,’ Abiola says. ‘You should absolutely get it.’ But only if you’re ready to pay for it.
Watch the full episode here.
