Maybach's first drophead is an ultra-luxury Mercedes SL

Maybach has reworked the Mercedes SL to create the marque's first fresh air sportster of the modern era.

Dubbed by the makers as "the sportiest model in the Maybach brand's history", the Mercedes-Maybach SL680 Monogram Series roadster was unveiled at Monterey Car Week in California in August.

In keeping with Maybach tradition, the grille is chrome and a chromed spear runs the length of the bonnet. The car also sports a fixed three-pointed star bonnet emblem above the Maybach badge

The Maybach will hit showrooms early next year and it likely to cost around €250,000, some €50,000 more than the AMG SL 63 on which it is based.

The sports convertible is designed to rival the Bentley Continental GTC and Ferrari Roma Spider in a rarefied league where exclusive extras add tens of thousands to the list price.

The Maybach SL comes in only two colour combinations of metallic red and bright white, with more variations in the pipeline. Power is supplied by the four-litre V8 engine from the standard AMG issue, with 585 horsepower on tap and a top speed of 260 km/h.

Daimler revived the Maybach name in November 2014 as a luxury sub-brand after the marque enjoyed mixed fortunes as a company-owned maker of luxury limousines which sold poorly.