There’s a Good Reason Why the Armored Mercedes-Benz S-Class Still Packs a V12
Believe it or not, Mercedes-Benz wants to keep things simple in the armored, V12 S-Class.
Want a V12-powered Mercedes-Benz S-Class? Well, your options are limited in 2026. But, should you be of a certain (possibly endangered) clientele, you can still get a 9,800-pound S-Class with a V12 up front and not a single hybrid battery in sight. That’s where Mercedes-Benz Guard comes in. It’s not a warranty program, but rather a division of the Stuttgart automaker designed to provide the “highest protection level” for civilian and diplomatic clients. In short: armored luxury cars.
But why a twin-turbocharged V12 when you can get more power and torque out of a hybridized V8 application? After all, the armored S 680 GUARD 4MATIC produces 603 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque to the AMG S 63’s 791 horsepower and a Herculean 1055 pound-feet of torque. The answer? Simplicity and weight savings.
In short, Mercedes-Benz Guard wanted a powerful engine without the added complexity or weight of a hybrid system. In a situation that warrants VPAM VR10 protection, the sort of armor rated to withstand the sort of 7.62x54mm ammunition you’d find in a PKM machine gun or SVD rifle, a hybrid system adds a potential for failure that isn’t present with a more conventional engine. Mercedes-Benz Guard representative Saša Zejnić told Road & Track that the choice to continue using a V12 is part of Guard’s initiative to provide “the highest protection level and also making the car move from A to B without any kind of [complication.]”
No V12-powered, armored S-Class Americans
If you’re the sort of person who needs an S-Class with sniper-fire-resistant armor, you might be out of luck. As of this writing, Mercedes-Benz doesn’t offer any Guard division vehicles for the American market. Still want the 6.0-liter BiTurbo V12?
Those options are limited, too. To get 12 cylinders under the hood of your new S-Class, you’ll have to spring for the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 and its eye-watering $270,750 price tag.
Photos: Mercedes-Benz
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