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.
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