- Mercedes will stop selling the Maybach S-Class with a V12 engine in Europe and other regions.
- The company’s largest machine will continue in the United States.
- South Korea and the Middle East still get the twelve-cylinder sedan.
The writing has been on the wall for quite some time, and now it’s official. Mercedes-Benz is discontinuing the V12 engine in the European Union market as the 6.0-liter twin-turbo unit falls victim to stricter emissions regulations. In a statement to Motor1a company spokesperson explained that the impending arrival of Euro 7 standards pushed the twelve-cylinder engine out of the Old Continent.
It wasn’t just the EU that said goodbye to the “M 279” engine. Countries in line with the European Certificate of Conformity (CoC) also miss out on the largest combustion engine Mercedes has to offer. Non-EU countries like Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway can also do without V12. Additionally, India and other regions are bidding farewell to machines launched more than a decade ago.
“Our clear ambition is to ensure that all Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Maybach models meet the highest demands of our customers. We continuously develop our models and engines, regularly reviewing our portfolio for specific markets. We also carefully comply with all applicable standards, including EU7.”
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
‘That’s why in the European and CoC markets, as well as in some other markets such as India, the updated V8 is the new best engine. It produces a whopping 450 kW [603 hp]—Performance is the same as the current V12 engine. We are confident that this engine will provide driving comfort and performance like a Maybach.”
The V12 will continue in Maybach’s main markets, such as China, the United States and the Middle East. Interestingly, the S680 name will continue to be used globally, although some regions get the V8 while others keep the V12. The logic behind this decision is that the eight-cylinder version is now as powerful as its bigger sibling.
But the S680 sold in the US still has an edge. Its V12 produces 621 hp, or 18 hp more than the V8. Additionally, 664 pound-feet (900 Newton-meters) of torque gives it a 37 lb-ft (50 Nm) advantage over the smaller engine.
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
Of course, there’s also the prestige that comes with owning a twelve-cylinder sedan, one of the few still available in 2026. The Bentley Flying Spur with the W12 is gone, while the Volkswagen Phaeton and Audi A8 with the same engine are a distant memory. BMW discontinued the V12 when the previous generation 7 Series was discontinued, although the engine remains in the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Phantom.
Prices for the new Maybach S-Class S680 with the V12 engine aren’t out yet, but considering the rarity of twelve-cylinder sedans, it’s likely to be the cheapest of them all. Still, it will likely cost more than a quarter of a million dollars, considering its predecessor started at $245,750 in the US.
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Source: Mercedes-Benz
Motorcycle Pickup1: It’s no surprise that the V12 was taken off the market due to increasingly stringent laws. The bigger the engine, the more vulnerable it is to being phased out unless automakers adopt electrification. However, the Maybach S-Class is a niche product, so investing in a highly complex V12 hybrid powertrain wouldn’t make much sense.
The “M 279” engine was not the only V12 made by Mercedes. Although its subsidiary, AMG, stopped producing “65”-badged cars a few years ago, the Pagani Utopia uses the Affalterbach-born “M 158” unit.
