THE 10 BEST AND WORST ENGINES MADE BY MAJOR AUTOMAKERS

Best Mercedes Engine: M297 AMG V12 (6.9L & 7.3L)

Mercedes has made a name for itself with sleek sedans and roaring race cars—but when they teamed up with AMG to create the M297 V12, they really outdid themselves. This engine isn’t just good—it’s the kind of powerplant that makes gearheads get misty-eyed.

Originally rolled out in 1997, the M297 was a serious piece of engineering. The 6.9-liter version showed up in the iconic CLK GTR, pumping out 600 horsepower and 572 lb-ft of torque. That’s supercar-level grunt, and it didn’t stop there.

Even the Italian hypercar maker Pagani took notice. When they were developing the Zonda, they wanted something truly special under the hood—and asked Mercedes-AMG to build them a custom 7.3-liter version of this engine. If a boutique supercar brand trusts your engine to carry their dream car, you’ve clearly done something right.