2012 Mercedes SL 65 AMG at New York Auto Show?

Are Mercedes planning a new SL 65 AMG (old model pictured)

It looks like Mercedes-Benz has decided that the world still needs a V12 SL and are planning to reveal the 2012 Mercedes SL65 AMG at next month’s New York Auto Show.

As you can’t have failed to notice, with a few exceptions from Italy, big cylinder engines are on the way out in favour of more efficient, and more frugal, forced induction engines with fewer cylinders.

But it’s starting to look like Mercedes may be bucking the trend with slightly surprising plans to take a V12 version of the new SL to the New York Auto Show next month – the Mercedes SL 65 AMG. Surprising because we reported last year that Mercedes had dropped their V12 SL models ahead of the new SL arriving.

The SL 65 version of the outgoing SL is a proper monster, in terms of performance and price. Its V12 AMG engine produces over 600bhp and can take the not exactly lightweight SL to 62mph in 4.2 seconds, thanks not just to the horses on tap but an enormous wall of torque – there’s 570NM on tap at just 1000rpm and 750NM by the time you hit 1500rpm. And it cost £150k.

But despite a tiny market for the SL 65 the consensus now seems to be that Mercedes are about to continue the line with the new SL. Assuming they manage to wring a few more horses out of the V12 – and with the lower weight of the 2012 SL – it seems reasonable to thing in terms of a sub 4 second 0-62mph for the 20-13 SL 65 AMG, and a price that will be moving up towards £200k.

Logic would also say that if Mercedes are going to produce a new SL 65, they could conceivably also produce a new version of the silky SL 600, which we thought had no chance of arriving in the latest SL. And perhaps even a new V12 SL Black Series – as long as its more convincing than the last version.

We’ll find out at the New York Motor Show if the new SL 65 AMG is a reality. We do hope so.