It appears the V-12 powered Mercedes-AMG SL65's days are numbered. According to a source close to the company, the SL65 will die off in June of this year, and it's taking the V-12 engine with it, MB Passion Blog reported on Sunday.
Production of the V-12-powered car is expected to end in May before the model is officially retired in June. It leaves high rollers with just a couple of months before the $222,000, 621-horsepower drop-top is gone for good, though the SL will soldier on.
In fact, the SL may return with even more power despite the lack of a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V-12 engine. Previous reports from the 2018 Detroit auto show peg the next-generation SL to debut sometime early next decade, and it will likely join the AMG portfolio. In the process, the SL could adopt a the SL73 nameplate and arrive with a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 paired with an electric motor. The electrified powertrain may even deliver 805 hp. The SL will likely become a sportier grand touring model with a 2+2 cockpit and a soft-top roof to replace the S-Class Coupe.
Motor Authority reached out to Mercedes-AMG for comment on the SL65's future and we were told there is no official comment at this time.
As unfortunate as the V-12's death may be, the next SL could be a real luxo-performance machine. Meanwhile, if nothing other than the V-12 won't do, the engine is expected to stick around as part of the Maybach family.
