The upcoming Beijing Auto Show in April will see another round of Chinese clones of familiar Western models including a Mercedes-Benz G-Class doppelganger crafted by Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co., which most people know as Beiqi or by the acronym BAIC.

It is believed that BAIC's new G-Class inspired model that goes under the uninspired name B80VJ, will be displayed as a thinly disguised concept at the Beijing Auto Show with the production model to follow shortly after.

And if you're not convinced about the resemblance between the G-Class and the B80VJ from the drawings or the single rendering, a spy picture of BAIC's 4x4 loaded on a truck bed leaves no doubts about where BAIC received its inspiration from.

What strikes us as the most remarkable thing in this matter is that BAIC is Mercedes-Benz's partner in China producing the German firm's models for the local market!

We've been telling you for some time about Mercedes-Benz's plans to update its G-Class series and present a new pair of AMG models, and now our scoop photographers have snared two barely camouflaged prototypes on test in mainland Europe.

The two new AMG-prepped G-Wagen models are the G63 (or G55) and G65. It is to our understanding that the G63 AMG (keep in mind, Mercedes may hold on to the G55 nameplate for this model) will receive the German firm's new 5.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 producing around 525HP and 700Nm (516.3 lb-ft).

The more exclusive G65 AMG, which will be produced in a limited run, is speculated to get the S65 AMG’s 6.0-litre bi-turbocharged V12 engine with an output of 612HP and a tarmac shredding 1,000Nm or 737 lb-ft of peak torque.

The classic Mercedes-Benz G-Class or as some call it, the G-Wagen which is short for Geländewagen (all-terrain wagon in German), is one of the most capable off-roaders money can buy these days but it's also one of the longest-standing models in the auto industry having been originally launched in 1979.

While Mercedes-Benz has tried to keep up with the times by constantly refreshing its mechanics and equipment features, the G-Class shows its age, especially in the interior. And that's where Bulgarian design studio Vilner steps in to update the classic Mercedes-Benz 4x4 model.

While spy shooters are searching for camouflaged prototypes of the facelifted 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class on the roads of Germany, the team over at "3rabacars" was fortunate enough to discover an entire garage of barely disguised examples of the upcoming AMG variants in a garage in Dubai.

From what we understand, 3rabacars took pictures of both the V8-powered G63 (or G55) AMG and the V12-powered G65 AMG. According to the poster, the G63 AMG's speedometer went up to 280km/h (174mph) while the G65 AMG's stopped at 320km/h (199mph).

The rugged G-Class may be the oldest model series in Mercedes-Benz's range as it has been constantly in production since 1979, but the Germans aren't about to let it go yet as they continue to improve their most famous luxury off-road vehicle.

Our spies recently caught up with a couple of prototype models of the flagship AMG variant while testing in Europe. The G-Wagen SUVs were fitted with new exterior mirrors featuring the same design as the ones found on newer Mercedes passenger models and a modified lower front end with three large air vents.