[hanmust]

For the ones who think that a classy Mercedes-Benz goes best with a V12 unit under its bonnet, this news could be sort of a nightmare. No more Mercedes-Benz 12-cylinder engines in the near future.

The Stuttgart-based carmaker has recently announced that the M295 V12 programme will be cancelled. M295 is the codename that stays behind the new V12 unit and it would have been the successor of the current M275 unit, that is used today on the S 600, CL 600 and SL 600 versions. Furthermore, for the next period, Mercedes-Benz will update the M275 so as to make it Euro 5 compatible. But for the next generations of the S- and CL-Klasse models, engineers and technicians will develop a brand new, state-of-the-art, high-end technology V8 unit range to replace the V12, that will certainly use a lower cc displacement and twin-turbocharging solution, thus enabling supreme road performance via the high max. output and great max. torque. According to insiders, there will be 4 variants of the same V8 unit, with different outputs, of course. Mercedes-Benz will also continue to extend and improve its engine range with new 4-cylinders inline units plus the exquisite DIESOTTO engine, that may arrive soon, under the bonnet of the 2012/2013 S-Klasse.

So, it's clear that nowadays, given the worldwide economic crisis and the strict regulations when it comes to pollution, carmakers aren't anymore interested in winning the crown for the most powerful V12 unit. Mercedes-Benz is only of them, not to mention that BMW has also phased out the V12 unit for the new 7er, that should have powered a future 760Li version.

Source: http://mercedes-benz-blog.blogspot.com/2008/11/breaking-newsmercedes-benz-to-abort-v12.html

[Brabus E V12]

:-(

Whyyyy???

Wonder what will happen to the used V12 car market once this happens? They already depreciate like stink. Will used prices depriciate even faster or slower?

I hope its even more!!

[abhinav.gupta88]

It would be better if they equip these models with the 6.3L AMG.
Drool machines they will be.

[Dippen]

a bit sad news indeed however i guess with the price of oil that we have today & the current economic crises in the car industry it is not economically viable to have that size of a engine.

[GTO]

Actually, it is nothing to do with the economic crisis or tree huggers taking over the world. Autoblog says this:

While our first inclination is to assume that this change is being made to increase the fuel efficiency and lower the emissions of the overall Daimler line, the real reason that the bent-12 engine program is being dropped is simply because the block is too long.

Sighhhhhhhhhh.......the best S-Class' are V12's. C'mon, it is big daddy Mercedes we are talking about, their cars aren't exactly econo-boxes. A V8 will never be able to match the silky power delivery of a V12. And then, there's no replacement for displacement either right?

I hope Mercedes reconsiders. Really hope.