AMG V12 Engines are No More, According to Automotive News
AMG V12 is now out; electrification and turbo V8 engines are the inevitable future.
It was a G-wagon that kicked off the bad news at the New York International Auto Show this April, with the announcement of the G65 Final Edition. The “Final” part of that edition, unfortunately, signals the end of AMG V12 power in the Mercedes lineup, according to a recent report by Automotive News. As such, there were no plans to introduce a G65 at all with the upcoming G-Class overhaul.
Mercedes-AMG CEO Tobias Moers told Automotive News, “there is still demand for a V12, but if you move forward with a V12 in the future, the investment will be too high, in my perspective. You have to increase power, and you have to move forward with the technology in that engine. We’d better invest our money into electrified V8 vehicles.”
‘There is still demand for a V12, but if you move forward with a V12, the investment will be too high… We’d better invest our money into electrified V8 vehicles.’
Aside from ultra-premier editions such as Maybach models, the AMG V12 will soon be a thing of the past. It makes sense to downsize the cylinder count in today’s automotive environment. Smaller turbocharged engines are more compact, and when conjoined with hybrid propulsion, are better by every measure.
While we’ll miss the rush of V12 torque, and that awesome sound the starter makes, we understand why they need to phase out the big brute of an engine. One look at AMG’s Project ONE hypercar reveals half the cylinders and substantially higher power outputs. Considering what the company has planned for that car, we hope we can trust them in leading the way to new levels of efficient performance.
If AMG is losing a bit of focus on what makes the brand unique, at the very least we still have a plethora of past V12 engines available for us to enjoy. It’s just a shame you won’t be able to buy one from the showroom floor any longer.
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