The Mercedes-Benz S580 needs no introduction.

For decades it has been the go-to model for those that seek the absolute best in luxury and technology, with the German manufacturer leading the race in creating the model revered by billionaires, dictators and diplomats alike.

The S580 is the best Mercedes has to offer in terms of luxury interiors.

The long-wheelbase S580 is best enjoyed from the rear seats, where the noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) transmitted from the road surface in to the cabin is absolutely minimal. The rear seats are so quiet you can easily fall asleep in there with heavy traffic going on outside.

The S580 is made for long distance drives on the autobahn and it would.

The infotainment system is rather exhaustive in its options and capability and while the wireless Apple CarPlay integration works well. The menus are easy to navigate and utilising the system’s many functions is also logical.

The steering wheel is a delight to hold and the array of buttons and controls allow you to get away with doing most of what you will ever need to do without ever reaching for the central screen.

The head-up display is without fail the best in any car we have ever used and the augmented reality navigation system that projects arrows and guides onto the road (using the HUD). Once you get the hang of it, brings a far safer experience to using navigation as the driver never has to take their eyes off the road.

Overall, the S580’s interior is an amazing place to be it’s hard to think of another car that can match it for its technology, elegance and craftsmanship.

The Mercedes-Benz S580 party piece is the tried and tested 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8.

These next few years will see it go down as the last ever V8 engine from Mercedes-Benz, so best we enjoy it while we can.

The V8 has plenty of applications in other Mercedes and AMG models, but in the S580 it develops 503Hp of power and 700Nm of torque, driven via a nine-speed ‘9G-TRONIC’ automatic through all four wheels.

The electric motors add 15kW of power on top and help propel the big Merc from 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds (quicker than the V12 Maybach S680L).

Mercedes-Benz claims fuel economy figures of 10.8L/100km but if you spend a lot of time in heavy traffic on inner city driving with a preference for using your right foot liberally, expect that figure to be closer to 14L/100km.

Highlights include:

Digital Light headlights with Adaptive high-beam Assist
Nappa leather upholstery
Cylinder shut-off (to save fuel when coasting)
MBUX Augmented Reality Head-Up Display
Active Multi-contour Seat package
Heat and noise insulating glass
Infrared reflecting laminated glass for the front windshield

Other features include:

12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
12.8-inch MBUX touchscreen infotainment
Wireless smartphone mirroring with wireless phone charging,
power-closing doors,
Adaptive air suspension,
15-speaker Burmester sound system

With 12 airbags in the long wheelbase thanks to its standard rear-seat, forward-facing airbags (10 in the standard) and autonomous emergency braking with extended stop/go restart, blind-spot monitoring, evasive steering assist and active lane-change assist with pre-safe plus, the big S-Class is jam-packed with features. it’s a very safe car.