Could this be a Mercedes-Maybach G-Class?

As teasers go, this is a particularly perplexing one. It's a crop of a Mercedes G-Class set to be fully revealed in due course. And using Top Gear's finest powers of speculation (difficulty level: expert), we can wildly guess that it'll wear a Maybach badge. And pack a V12. And feature a folding roof*.

Just let that sink in for a moment. A giant, four-wheel-drive, V12-engined convertible Mercedes-Maybach G-Class. Oh yes.

First, just look at that number plate. 'G6501', the 650 bit quite possibly referencing the 6.0-litre biturbo V12 used very recently in the Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet. In that car, the V12 made 625bhp and 783lb ft of torque. It's a big, beefy engine. Perfect for a big, beefy G-Class.

If it is indeed a Maybach, it'll no doubt be a 'Landaulet' (the old Maybach 62 had a Landaulet version, don't forget). Which explains the folding roof you can just about make out in the image above.

Mercedes-Benz has only this to say: "First we built the G 63 AMG 6x6 – now the ultimate off-roader has another surprise up its sleeve. Stay tuned…"

Oh, we are staying very tuned. A luxury, limited edition Maybach take on the G-Class with a mighty V12? Count us in.

We shall bring you more in due course.

*Top Gear reserves the right to be wildly inaccurate about this guess