2012 Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 5.5L V8 7AT AWD (536 HP)

Vehicle Overview

With the 2012 Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG, the German automaker raised the level of the horsepower war that it had with other automakers around the Globe.

For those who were not satisfied with the grunt and the power provided by the G 55 AMG, the three-pointed-star brand imagined a new vehicle: the G 63 AMG. However, while some thought that it had a naturally-aspirated V12 engine under its hood, there was a biturbo 5.5-liter V8. As a result, it delivered more ponies and twisting force to rocket the shed-shaped SUV from naught to 100 kph (0-62 mph) quicker than its supercharged G 55 AMG predecessor. Even though it was just by a tenth of a second, it was still faster. Furthermore, the new variant came with essential additional features that made it look better.

At the front, the 2012 G 55 AMG came with a revised front fascia that featured LED daytime running lights underlining the round headlights. In an era where almost everyone else used swept-back headlamps, the G-Wagon still kept the round ones, like on its 1979 ancestor. Furthermore, the G 63 sported a new grille adorned by a twin horizontal slat with chromed finishes, specific for the AMG versions. The lower bumper was redesigned compared to the rest of the G-Class range, featuring a rectangular air intake flanked by a pair of side scoops, all covered by a mesh.

From its profile, the 2012 G 63 AMG boasted its large-diameter 20-inch light-alloy wheels, which were available either with titanium-grey or matte-black finish. The wheel fenders were adorned by flared moldings visually connected via the chromed-metallic side steps that eased ingress and egress to the vehicle. Like the rest of the G-Class range from the same model year, the potent SUV sported V-shaped turn signals into its door mirror caps. The automaker kept the twin side exhausts that were a unique trademark for the AMG-powered vehicles. Finally, at the back, the G 63 AMG featured rectangular LED taillights with rounded-shaped reversing lights.

The automaker refreshed the SUV’s interior, starting from scratch. It added a new dashboard that included a redesigned instrument cluster with individual clusters for the speedometer and tachometer. Between them, a rectangular TFT color display was added that showed data from the car’s onboard computer and the sound system. Furthermore, atop the center stack, Mercedes-Benz installed a seven-inch touchscreen COMAND infotainment unit, which included navigation. Its controller sat between the new, leather-wrapped front seats. The same material was used to upholster the split-folding bench seat in the back.

Under the hood, AMG installed a redesigned and hand-crafted 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine. It sent its power in all corners via a two-speed transfer box and a SPEEDSHIFT seven-speed automatic gearbox. Like all the other G-Class W463 vehicles, the G 63 AMG featured three manually locking differentials.