If you thought the G63 AMG wasn’t badass enough, wait until the G65 AMG hits the scene later this year. The V-12 brute has been on sale elsewhere since 2012 but it’s now coming to the U.S., priced from a staggering $218,825, including a $925 destination charge.
This means the Mercedes-AMG skunk works now has four models priced above $200k, with the other three being the SL65 ($216,175), S65 ($222,925), and S65 Coupe ($231,825). Of course, there’s also the bonkers G63 6×6, which cost upwards of half a million dollars, though this six-wheeled monster has just ended production.
Despite costing less than half the price of the G63 6×6, the insanity factor by no means has also been cut in half when we’re talking the G65. It’s twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V-12 delivers 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, allowing the big brute (it weighs almost 6,000 lbs) to accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 5.3 seconds, rivaling many dedicated sports cars.
But unlike a sports car, the G65 is also fully capable off the road thanks to its raised ride height, transfer case and trio of differential locks. The transmission is a seven-speed automatic, and the vehicle’s top speed is electronically limited to 143 mph.
The U.S. remains one of the biggest markets for the G-Class, with 2014 being the best year yet for sales of the vehicle. Buyers here snapped up 3,090 of them last year, with more than half of these being Mercedes-AMG’s G63 variant. We wonder if the G65 will fare any better. Sales start in November.
