Mercedes-Benz G65 AMG Not U.S.-Bound

 Those rejoicing over the news that Mercedes-Benz is building a mental 612 horsepower V-12-power G-Wagen better hold those horses. We’ve just received official confirmation from our sources inside Mercedes-Benz that when the 2013 Mercedes-Benz G-Class hits our shores later this year, the G65 AMG will be absent from the lineup.

2013 Mercedes-Benz G65 AMG Not U.S.-Bound, Will Cost Over $500,000 Overseas.

Just by its sheer insanity, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz G65 AMG is up there with the new Lamborghini Urus as one of the ultimate automotive ‘F.U’s.’ The original Geländewagen was designed for the German military back in the late ’70s and its designers likely never imagined it having anything but a small diesel four-pot rumbling away under the hood.

The G65 AMG is about as far away from the original G-Wagen as you can get. Rather than the original’s small diesel four-pot, the 2013 G65 AMG borrows a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V-12 from Mercedes’ S65 AMG flagship. In the G65, the engine produces a whopping 738 lb-ft of torque in addition to the aforementioned 612 hp. That power is routed to all four-wheels through a five-speed automatic.

While it may seem somewhat disappointing that we’re not getting the G65 AMG in the U.S., if it were to come to our shores it’d likely cost much more than what American buyers are willing to pay. For example in the Netherlands the G65 AMG is slated to come in at 391,327 euros – roughly $506,142 – before taxes.

Though the G65 AMG won’t be making an appearance in the U.S., the American G-Class lineup won’t be AMG-less. We’re still slated to receive its ‘little’ brother, the 2013 G63 AMG. Despite the name, the G63 AMG is powered by a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 that produces a slightly more reasonably 544-hp and 560 lb-ft of torque. The G63 AMG will likely cost around $130,000 when it hits our shores this year.

Categories: Mercedes Benz