Keep Your Six-Wheel Drive G-Wagens and Sign Us Up for This Digital AMG W124 6x6 Instead

Mercedes may have contributed to the craze with the original G-Wagen 6x6, which was based on the previous generation, but since then, a whole bunch of other companies, mostly tuners, have dipped their fingers into this niche. The offer is not that varied, but it does comprise quite a few of them, and if money was no concern, we reckon we’d see more of them on the roads, maybe even gradually replacing crossovers (one can only wish!).

Most of the time, when we see a 6x6, it was built on a proper SUV, often with a ladder-frame construction. This, combined with heavy-duty suspension, portal axles, chunky rubber on its feet, winch, steel bumpers and side steps, extra lights, snorkel, and maybe a few other bits and bobs, helps improve its off-roading capability, allowing it to tackle even more arduous terrains. But that’s not always the recipe, because every now and then, we get to feast our eyes on something that is a bit different, like the pictured W124.

This old-timer, which was eventually replaced by the Mercedes E-Class, has tapped into its hairy-chested nature, leaving its original DNA behind. And as you can likely tell, it does not exist. It was the work of jonsibal, who shared these renderings on social media a few days ago, and we’ve got to admit that they have won our hearts. Is there anything you don’t like about it? Probably not, because even those who are not particularly fond of wagons can perhaps get behind this build, especially since it features other novelties too and looks pretty much like a well-preserved example, with a restomod touch.

In order to fit it with an extra axle at the rear, the digital artist had to extend the quarter panels, and the three-quarter windows, and the roof. The wheels have a retro-ish flair and a wide-lip design, and they fill the arches very well. The whole car was envisioned as an AMG, hence the rather fat side skirts, adjustable apron up front, swollen fenders, two spoilers at the rear, quad exhaust tips, and what should be a punchy engine breathing air from behind that classic grille whose design we miss. For a sportier appearance, the front and rear lighting units were digitally smoked, and the privacy windows pretty much round off the makeover.

But what is a W124? Well, as we already told you above, it is the father of the E-Class. The model started being known by its (then) new name in 1995, when the W210 premiered. Replacing the W123, the W124 entered production back in 1984 and was made until 1995. Back then, the company was known as Daimler-Benz, and assembly took place at four factories in Germany, joined by the facilities in Mexico, India, South Africa, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The executive car came in various body styles, including four-door sedan, five-door wagon, two-door coupe, two-door convertible, and even a six-door limo, because what’s there not to like about an even longer one?

Depending on the configuration and year, and where it was sold, the W124 could be had with all sorts of gasoline and diesel engines. The lineup comprised the usual straight-four and straight-six mills, as well as straight-five and V8 units. The thrust was directed either to the rear wheels or to the all-wheel drive system via a four-speed manual, five-speed manual, four-speed automatic, or five-speed automatic transmission. One of the most desired versions of the car was the E 60 AMG, made towards the end of the model’s life cycle, which came with a 6.0-liter V8 (hence the ‘60’ moniker – kind of makes you wish they stuck to that naming, doesn't it?).

One cannot simply speak about the W124 and not mention the incredible Mercedes-Benz 500 E. This model was created in collaboration with Porsche, and it used a 5.0-liter V8. Porsche was in charge of the suspension and chassis design, and obviously the performance part. Besides these, it also stood out by featuring a few updates on the outside, including the different front apron, new grille, redesigned back end, and several other things. For a car built back in the ‘90s, the 500 E sure was fast, especially when considering that we are still talking about an executive model. From 0 to 62 mph 0-100 kph), it needed just 6.1 seconds, aided by the 321 hp (326 ps/240 kW) produced by its V8.

If we had to choose between a 6x6 G-Class and this W124 equipped with six wheels, then we’d (okay, I’d) go for this one just for the added coolness factor. But would you? Drop a line down below and let us know what you think about it.

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A post shared by Jon Sibal (@jonsibal)