Desert Sand Mercedes G-Class Rocks Black Vossen Wheels

The G-Class - probably the coolest off-roader ever built, some would argue. Until celebrities all start driving Jeeps and Broncos, we're not going to argue with that. Obviously, the G 63, with its hand-built AMG powerhouse, is the monarch of this family. However, the G 550 probably works best in this color if you think about it.

Desert Sand from the Designo catalog or "G Manufacktur Paints" is supposed to replicate combat camo, with the G-Class having a rich history as an army vehicle. It's never been bulletproof, but a turret wouldn't look out of context here.

And last time we checked, army vehicles don't have enlarged air intake to feed their intercoolers and the driver's ego. So the smaller bumpers and apertures of this G 550 are better suited for pretend war games.

You can also save a little money here. Where the G 63 SUV starts from $156,450, the G 550 is "only" $130,000 in the U.S. There's an obvious trade-off in the power department, though. Even though both models use 4.0-liter V8 engines, the base model makes only 416-hp and 450 lb-ft of torque for a 0 to 60 time of 5.6 seconds. Meanwhile, the big boy has 577 hp and 627 lb-ft, doing the sprint in 4.5 seconds.

Making the SUV stand out even more here is a set of Vossen Forged HF-4T wheels. These measures 22x10.5 inches at all corners and have been finished in satin black, which matches the trum and the optional bull bar.

Factory wheels for the G 550 stop at 20 inches, but these don't feel oversized for some reason. While we're on the subject of factory frills, we'll mention that Desert Sand is a $6,500 option.