The Only 5 V12 (Or W12) SUVs Ever Sold New In AmericaJalopnikChloe ClougherSun, September 27, 2026 at 11:45 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleRolls-RoyceIt is no secret that SUVs are wildly popular and have been for some time, not just in the U.S., but also the world over. Models like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V have been climbing the sales charts for years now, while models like the '90s Ford Explorer paved the way for their success.Advantageous ride heights, plenty of space inside for both cargo and occupants, plus the sense of adventure-readiness are just some of the attributes that make SUVs the popular choice they are today. Gargantuan 12-cylinder engines, on the other hand, just don't sit within the average motorist's 'must-have' list when buying an SUV.Instead, such engines are more typically suited toward ultra-smooth luxo-barges, as the V12 is an inherently smooth engine with a high enough cylinder count and displacement to provide effortless, linear progress without stress. Or indeed they belong well beneath the hood of elaborate supercars, as the classic 12-pot shriek is a clear sign of exuberant excess and tire-shredding power.AdvertisementAdvertisementAs such, it likely comes as little surprise to discover that only 5 SUVs have ever made it across to American shores, some with V12s under the hood, while one goes with a W12 instead. Other examples, such as the W12-powered Volkswagen Touareg or laughably unnecessary diesel V12-powered Audi Q7, did make it through to production, but never for American markets.So, from the Ferrari Purosangue to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, via an old-school Lamborghini, W12-powered Bentley, and military-derived Mercedes-AMG, these are the only 5 12-cylinder-powered SUVs ever sold new in America, ranked by output from least to greatest.Read more: 11 Of The Biggest V8 Engines Ever Put In Production CarsLamborghini LM002LamborghiniKicking things off, we find perhaps the most bizarre V12-powered SUV ever sold, Lamborghini's LM002, produced between 1986 and '92. This remarkable creation stems from a one-off vehicle that was created prior, the Lamborghini Cheetah, which had military use in its sights. However, due to similarities to another military project in development, the build was scrapped, but the longing for a vehicle of this nature still lingered within Lamborghini's factory gates.AdvertisementAdvertisementThese lingering desires eventually materialized as the LM002 — a monstrous SUV with a near 6,800-pound curb weight, fully independent suspension, low- and high-range four-wheel-drive system, and a rather un-SUV-like six-Weber-fed, four-cam, 5.2-liter V12 engine. In terms of the numbers, the Countach-powered LM002 provided 444 horsepower alongside 368 lb-ft of torque to the user's right foot, which made for both an amazing and terrible ride – as we found out when getting to grips with one in Italy just last year.To meet strict emissions regulations, later models destined for the U.S. market were dubbed the LM/American, and these sadly did without the Weber carburetor, and instead boasted a multipoint electronic fuel ignition system. Only 60 were developed, of the LM002's total 301-unit production run, and these U.S.-specific models produced a lower 414 horsepower.This then acts as the first chapter in the remarkably short V12-SUV story. It's a cool machine, that's for sure, but given its obscurity and innate unusualness, it's probably not a great surprise to hear that it took a number of decades before any other automaker was wild enough to give the recipe another try.Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black BadgeRolls-RoyceRolls-Royce wasn't the next to deliver a twelve-cylinder SUV to the public; that honor belongs to our next entry, but the Cullinan is the next powerful one, following on from the aforementioned Rambo Lambo. The luxury SUV space was really hotting up during the late 2010s; Range Rovers all of a sudden looked rather mid-market, what with Bentley and Lamborghini introducing crazy six-figure models, and Rolls-Royce too joined the party with its Cullinan for the 2019 model year to really shake things up. An updated model entered the market for 2025 and is still in production today.AdvertisementAdvertisementTaking care of all matters relating to propulsion is a twin-turbocharged 6.7-liter V12 engine, with 563 horsepower at its disposal – or 592 horsepower in the later Black Badge models, with 627 lb-ft of torque too, which comes in nice and low at just 1,600 rpm. Power is sent to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission, and its performance is really quite remarkable, considering its 6,086-pound curb weight. This super-suave SUV can rocket from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, and it will keep on motoring until it hits a governed limit of 151 mph.In true Rolls-Royce style, the Cullinan is not marketed at the many like most SUVs, but to the few, and this is perhaps best demonstrated by its gargantuan sticker price, which happily crosses the half-million-dollar-mark in the right specification.Mercedes-Benz G65 AMGMercedes-BenzMercedes-AMG's G-Wagon is best known today for its gaudy looks and celeb appeal, but it was once a back-to-basics utilitarian off-roader designed for military use. So, as it started as a military SUV before becoming a civilian favorite, the G65 AMG is actually the spiritually closest to the LM002, which sparked the 12-pot SUV segment off in the first place.However, by the time AMG did get round to slotting a V12 under the hood — a 621-horsepower, 738 lb-ft, twin-turbocharged and 6.0-liter V12, to be specific — the once-humble G Wagon was really very far removed from its once practical origins. That level of grunt is enough to see the Germanic brick accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a very respectable 5.1 seconds, and onto a limited top speed of 140 mph, which is probably more than fast enough, given the G-Wagon's rather unfortunate reputation for handling.AdvertisementAdvertisementRegardless of the lackluster handling and questionable image that comes with owning an AMG-tweaked G-Class, the fact that a 621-horsepower V12 ever made its way into this SUV between the 2012 and 2018 model years is something we should be celebrating. It's cars like these that question what's logical or even possible, as even in a grouping of other 12-cylinder SUVs, the G65 somehow still manages to stand out as something of a mad hatter.Bentley Bentayga SpeedBentleyAnother entry into the world of 12-cylinder SUVs sold in America is the Bentley Bentayga, the British brand's first foray into the world of SUVs. Rather than making use of a V12, the Bentayga instead packs a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12, making it the only SUV with this configuration to have ever sold stateside.Ensuring output is earth-shatteringly high enough to embarrass most of the competition is a pair of turbochargers. With 600 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, it certainly does have the grunt to show a clean pair of heels to most other 12-pot SUVs. For an extra kick, the Bentayga Speed manages to eke an extra 26 horses from the W12 lump, although torque remains unchanged.When it first debuted as a 2019 model year, the W12-equipped Bentayga sold with a $229,100 sticker, and the engine remained available until the 2023 model year, as it was discontinued after this point. Only the Speed model continued with the W12 engine at this point, and it attracted a $267,325 asking price – pittance then, in comparison to the Cullinan. That power is channeled through an 8-speed automatic transmission and directed toward all four wheels, as anyone would surely expect of a 600+ horsepower, near-5,400-pound Bentley SUV.Ferrari PurosangueFerrariAs is only fitting for a Prancing Horse, the Ferrari Purosangue — introduced for the 2022 model year and still in production today –leads the charge as the most powerful 12-cylinder SUV ever sold in America. Except, it's not actually an SUV. Not if you listen to Ferrari's marketing department, that is, as the Italian automaker instead lists it as an FUV, which of course stands for Ferrari Utility Vehicle.AdvertisementAdvertisementBack down on planet Earth, we can instead take the spotlight away from Ferrari's laughable naming strategy and instead shine it toward the engine bay of the Purosangue, as here sits a 6.5-liter V12. That V12 manages to emit a whopping 715 horsepower and 528 lb-ft of torque, and what's even more impressive is that it does so without having to rely on any hybrid or turbocharger assistance at all. Again, the Purosangue is all-wheel-drive, and it makes use of an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic.Taking the most powerful 12-cylinder SUV of all time home does come with a cost, though, and with the correct extras and options equipped, it's a cost that might even be able to eclipse of the half-million-dollar Cullinan. Pricing for the Purosangue kicks off at $432,986 for the 2026 model year, although optional extras from Ferrari can soon send base prices soaring. Four-layer paint options can easily exceed $20,000, forged wheels could set buyers back a quarter of that figure, and carbon-fiber packages can easily add tens of thousands.Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and follow us or add us as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on Jalopnik.
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