Three years ago, Mercedes-Benz told us it was “getting ready to go all electric by the end of the decade, where market conditions allow.” Like practically every other automaker, it’s since walked back that plan. And today, at the IAA Mobility show in Munich, it confirmed that its crown-jewel V12 will remain in production into the 2030s.
The news comes from Autocar and while it is welcome, precisely how Mercedes aims to achieve this, given the impending emissions regulations, isn’t clear. When asked about the engine’s Euro 7 compatibility, CEO Thomas Schäfer told the publication, “I will not say more, but it is coming.”
Now, it’s quite possible that these V12s will simply miss countries where they’re not allowed, and persist elsewhere. Schäfer noted that the automaker must comply with Europe’s combustion engine ban slated for 2035. “But there are other markets at the moment [where] I don’t expect them to have such a regulation in place [such as the Middle East and China],” he said, according to Autocar. “So we could still continue to sell those engines there in those markets as long as customer demand continues.”
Right now, the only Mercedes-branded vehicle that incorporates one of its V12s is the Maybach S680, using the 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged M279; the company continues to build V12s for Pagani as well. Mercedes is also embracing straight-sixes and V8s again, as Schafer highlighted the company’s new, Euro 7-compliant high-performance eight-cylinder mill coming to AMG vehicles, to replace the unpopular four-cylinder hybrid powertrain.
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Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.
