There are very few remaining V12-powered cars in the world, and even fewer that are not two-seaters like the Pagani Huayra, Ferrari 12Cilindri, Lamborghini Revuelto, GMA T.50, and Aston Martin Vanquish. When it comes to four-doors, the list includes the Ferrari Purosangue, a handful of Rolls-Royce products, and the Mercedes-Maybach S680. Sadly for some, S680 won’t necessarily mean V12 power everywhere, though it will in the U.S. Mercedes confirmed to Motor1 that it is discontinuing its 621-horsepower M279 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 in Europe because Euro 7 regulations that are about to go into effect will deem the monstrous motor noncompliant. As a result, the S680 badge will mean different things in different countries.
Mercedes Explains Where the V12 Will Live On
In a statement, Mercedes said that it is constantly reviewing its range, updating its engine offerings, and ensuring its cars “meticulously comply with all applicable standards, including EU7.” Thus, says Mercedes, “in the European and CoC markets”—countries that follow the European Certificate of Conformity standards—”as well as in some other markets such as India, the updated [603-hp] V8 is the new top engine.” This applies to countries like Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, while China, the United States, and the Middle East will still enjoy the sultry-smooth V12.
Related: America’s Love for V8s Is Keeping BMW’s Biggest Engines Alive
With similar output, countries whose Maybach offerings are topped by V8s won’t be losing much in the way of performance, but that’s not what those who buy V12 luxury limos care about most anyway. Supercar owners love the sound of a highly-strung naturally aspirated V12, and in something like the Aston Martin Vanquish, a turbocharged V12 makes for the ultimate GT experience. In the case of Maybach buyers, those extra four cylinders give owners additional bragging rights over the proletariat, along with a kind of effortless torque and smooth power delivery that a V8 simply can’t match.
Maybach and Rolls-Royce Are in a Class of Their Own
In the U.S., only the Mercedes-Maybach S680 and the Rolls-Royce Ghost, Cullinan, and Phantom offer access to a V12 and four seats in a single package. The BMW 7 Series no longer offers the 12-cylinder engine, despite the 6.75-liter motor still being produced for Rolls-Royce, and Volkswagen Group products like the Bentley Flying Spur, Volkswagen Phaeton, and Audi A8 either no longer exist or have dropped their W12 mills. Americans with more money than they can spend will revel in an added sense of superiority, knowing that even those across the pond who can afford a $250,000+ Maybach can no longer get 12 cylinders in the Sonderklasse, and given this country’s love for big engines—the new Corvette Grand Sport with its 6.7-liter V8 is a prime example that there’s still no replacement for displacement in the “land of the free”—we don’t see them disappearing from our shores anytime soon.
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