After over three decades of production, the big boxy Mercedes-Benz G-Class is not long for this world. (At least, not in three-door, short-wheelbase form.) But while a Final Edition is already being offered in Europe, you didn’t think that Mercedes would leave it down to some extra chrome to bid auf weidersehen to its long-serving, all-conquering workhorse, did you? Of course not. At least, not if the boffins at AMG have anything to say about it, and if these rumors prove true.
The word circulating these interwebs is that AMG is planning to shoehorn in the twin-turbo V12 from the S65 AMG into the G-Wagen’s engine bay for a monstrous twelve-cylinder rolling barn with 612 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of twist.
That’s a lot of power no matter which way you look at it, but we already know it can be done. AMG is said to have produced a few such G-12s for custom order, as has its closely related tuning house Brabus (the result of which is pictured above). Would Affalterbach be able to find enough customers to officially offer such a vehicle? Go deep enough into Asian markets like Russia and the Gulf emirates and you just might find out.
Mercedes-Benz to shoehorn twin-turbo V12 into the G-Wagen for 612-hp G65 AMG? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Our spies managed to get a quick glance inside the 612 replacement, and in addition to confirming that there’s an honest-to-goodness luggage compartment out back, we now have a relatively clear idea of what the cockpit looks like. In addition to heaps of the finest leather, we can see what appears to be a set of nicely bolstered seats and a Ferrari-spec steering wheel complete with the bright red “engine start” button and drive mode selector switch.
Details may have finally surfaced on the mystery Ferrari we saw bumping around Maranello in a piece of shaky-hand-cam YouTube action late last month.