Before these spy shots surfaced, we were pretty sure the fastest box on wheels – the Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG – went buh-bye; Mercedes made no mention of it to anyone in our office, nor was it included in the “Mercedes-Benz What’s New for Model Year 2012” press release. That’s why the following photos have us scratching our heads.
The photos include a silver and a black tester with both sporting revised and lightly camouflaged front fascias, revised side view mirror housings, and side-mounted exhaust pipes, a G55 AMG signature feature. We can’t say what is under the hood of these testers, though the silver G55 is wearing “Kompressor” badges, which is Mercedes speak for supercharged. The 2011 Mercedes-Benz G55 was powered by a supercharged, 5.4-liter, V-8-engine that was rated at 500 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque.
It’s possible that a revised G55 will get the new M157, 5.5-liter, twin-turbo, V-8-engine with a power output of 518 hp or more. Will the new uber-box be a Europe-only treat, or will we get it stateside? We’re waiting for comments and confirmation from Mercedes, so stay tuned for updates.
