The longer you travel like this, the more envious of the Americans you become. Sure, the rear reclining massage seats are just as comfortable in the European car, the champagne bubbles just as delightful in the silver Maybach flutes and the performance is beyond reproach. 

Both variants top out at 155mph, and the V8 actually shaves half a second off the V12's 0-62mph sprint, managing it in four seconds flat. But how are you supposed to truly enjoy eight cylinders when you know others are allowed to have 12?

That said, European customers don't have to give up on the 12-cylinder dream entirely. If you are willing to pay roughly double the asking price and possess a spotless criminal record, you can still order the armoured S 680 Guard, which has been granted a special exemption by the authorities. 

If that's a bit too pricey, you could always buy the downsized European S 680 for £211,950 – or even the lesser plug-in hybrid, which starts from £174,195 – and spend the spare change on an American holiday. While you’re at it, why not request an airport transfer in the proper car, and bask in that V12 brilliance.