You’ll be able to buy a V8-powered Mercedes this year, after all.
Late last summer, Mercedes told dealers it was canceling production of most of its V8 engines for the 2022 model year. It wasn’t part of the automaker’s shift to electric cars. It was a reaction to supply chain problems.
Most Mercedes vehicles are available with a selection of engines. So, a pause in V8 production didn’t remove most Benzes from the market. But it limited the selection buyers were used to and took some of the best-reviewed engines in the world off the market.
But the pause, it turns out, won’t last all year.
As of yesterday, Mercedes says, dealers can once again order GLE-, GLS-, and G-Class models with twin-turbo V-8s under their hoods. Orders that the company put on hold last year will now be built. Dealers can once again place new orders. Customers who had ordered a 2021 model will receive its 2022 equivalent.
The next-generation AMG SL roadster is on schedule to appear on dealer lots soon with its two available V8s.
The move doesn’t bring back every V8-powered Mercedes. Notably, the announcement did not cover V8 versions of the E-Class sedan and wagon, CLS, GLC, or AMG GT. Asked when those will reappear, a Mercedes spokesperson told us, “We do not have any further details regarding additional model availability at this time.”
The Mercedes announcement may be a sign of a larger trend. The supply chain crisis in the automotive industry isn’t over. But it is easing. Some companies have told investors they believe the microchip shortage that has slowed worldwide auto production will ease before the end of the year.
