Is the Mercedes-AMG SL 65 not long for this world? That appears to be the case after a report from MB Passion Blog revealed that the SL 65 is going to be retired in June of this year. It’s known that production of the V-12 luxo-performance machine will end in May, but the fate of the drop-top is now in question beyond that.

The Mercedes-AMG SL 65 has had a good life. The high-performance model has been around for a decade, with two different versions to show for it. But times have changed, and with it, so have automakers’ priorities. To be clear, Mercedes-AMG hasn’t confirmed its plans for the AMG SL 65, but given its status as one of the last remaining Mercs with a massive V-12 engine, it seems unlikely that we’re going to see the car in its traditional guise any longer. Mercedes-AMG, after all, isn’t as attached to V-12s as Lamborghini.

There’s a legitimate reason to worry if you’re a fan of the SL 65. Fortunately, its departure doesn’t mean that AMG’s going to do away with offering luxo-performance machines in the future. If the AMG SL 65 does bite the dust, there’s a good chance that another model, maybe with a different name, will take its place.

The likeliest candidate in that regard is the Mercedes SL-Class, the line of high-strung performance models from which the SL 65 came from. There have been rumors that Mercedes isn’t getting rid of the SL-Class altogether. The same rumors suggest that the next-generation SL is not only in the cards for a debut in the early 2020s, but it’s also going to join the AMG portfolio as a hybrid model packing serious horsepower.

If this is the route Mercedes takes, it could tap into the powertrain from the AMG GT Concept that was previewed back at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. For those who don't remember, the concept had a hybrid unit that was made up of a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo, V-8 and an electric motor that combined to produce a staggering output of 805 horsepower. This is purely speculation, though if it ends up being the case, it’s going to be easier to forget that, at one point, Mercedes-AMG had the 621-horsepower SL 65 serving as its resident drop-top, luxury performance ride.

But that’s looking ahead into a future that could still change. For now, the AMG SL 65 is still around, at least for the time being. Where it goes after production ends in May is still anybody’s guess, though if I were you, I’d be looking at making an 11th hour purchase in case the model doesn’t come back.

References

Read our full review on the 2017 Mercedes-AMG SL 65.

Read our full review on the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT Concept.

Read more Mercedes-Benz news.