Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates

We here at  the Mercedes-Benz in Hoffman Estates knew the Mercedes-Benz brand was doing well in the troublesome financial market, but we were pleasantly surprised to hear that the company has plans to increase its output by 13 percent in 2012. That's right, readers, while other brands continue to struggle, the tried-and-true, reliable Mercedes-Benz franchise sits on top.

Watch the news recently? Here at Mercedes-Benz Hoffman, we like to stay ahead of the curve, but even we were surprised to learn about the AMG performance division of Mercedes-Benz replacing its powerful 6.2-liter V8 engine with the new, more efficient, twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 engine. Although we know the new engine is great, we were still a little upset about the death of the 6.2 (although it's still being used in the C63 AMG). When we saw the new 2012 ML63 AMG debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, however, we were pleasantly surprised. With 518 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque standard and 550 horsepower and 560 lb-ft torque with the optional AMG Performance Package, the ML63 stole the show.