Ducati Diavel AMG | First Look

Since inking a MotoGP sponsorship agreement at last year’s Los Angeles Motor Show, the relationship between Ducati and Mercedes AMG has been exclusively a marketing collaboration. That changes in 2012 with the Diavel AMG Special Edition, the first mechanical mash-up between the two performance powerhouses. Revealed at September’s 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany, Ducati describes the model as a “two-wheeled tribute to the AMG luxury-sport brand.”

Unlike Mercedes AMG automobiles that offer significant performance and handling upgrades, the Diavel AMG is unfortunately just a cosmetic exercise. The Special Edition adds AMG’s signature five-spoke wheels, carbon-fiber radiator grills with aluminum trim, an AMG-styled exhaust system and a special ribbed seat upholstered in Alcantara. The Testastretta engine remains unchanged.

In addition to AMG branding and a numbered plaque on the fuel tank, each Special Edition Diavel will have its cam timing “authenticated” by an engine technician whose name is then engraved on the left-side engine case—a charming if trivial touch, since the cam timing of every Ducati is set by hand. If you can’t afford the Diavel AMG, a line of coordinating leather jackets and helmets will be available for “passionate connoisseurs of technology, engineering detail and exclusive style.” Pricing or production numbers weren’t available at press time, but if you want a special-edition Diavel you had best act quickly. The Diavel sold out in America in 2011, and demand is expected to be just as strong next year.

Photo credit MotorCyclist