Mercedes-AMG has already waived goodbye to the V-12, with the S65 Final Edition unveiled in March serving as the swan song. Don't worry. A more powerful, V-8-based hybrid powertrain is coming to replace it.
You'd think then that Mercedes-Benz would also phase out the V-12, but this isn't the case.
Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius told GT Spirit in a Friday interview that the next S-Class will offer a V-12. The new flagship sedan is currently testing in prototype form and due to reach dealers in 2020 as a 2021 model.
No details about its V-12 engine were revealed but it's likely to be a version of Mercedes' current 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-12, perhaps with a mild-hybrid system to help reduce emissions. We could also see a higher output than the somewhat muted 523 horsepower and 612 pound-feet currently on offer.
Interestingly, the S-Class is likely to be Mercedes' only model to offer the big bruiser. In his same interview with GT Spirit, Kallenius revealed that the new GLS, including the Maybach version unveiled last week at Auto Guangzhou, won't feature a V-12 option.
