LS2-Swapped Manual Mercedes-Benz G-Class Purrs Like a Kitten, Would You Adopt It?

It may literally cost a small fortune to get the version developed in Affalterbach, so the owner of this 2002 G 500 decided to turn it into an AMG, with a manual twist. It uses the 6.0-liter V8 engine from a 2006 Cadillac CTS-V, rated at 400 hp and 395 lb-ft (535 Nm) of torque back then, complete with the Tremec six-speed stick shift.

When the swap happened, the SUV had around 220,000 miles (~354,000 km) under its belt, whereas the donor car displayed a little over 170,000 miles (~273,000 km). Since then, the owner has put roughly 4,000 miles (~6,400 km) more, claiming that despite the heart transplant, he managed to retain the all-wheel drive prowess of the G, which still has locking front, center, and rear differentials, and four-wheel drive.

The visible paint chips and scratches, upholstery wear, and some rust means that the future owner, because the vehicle is listed for grabs on Cars&bids, with the auction ending on December 1, will have to apply some much needed TLC to it. They will need to change the engine oil too, and get used to looking at an Android phone running Torque Pro, behind the new steering wheel, instead of the normal instrument cluster that was scrapped.

A Bose audio system, hooked up to a modern touchscreen display, will keep them entertained on the go, with the HVAC, heated seats, sunroof, and other such equipment, sprinkled with a nice V8 burble, contributing to the ambiance.

So, does it look like your next daily AMG that’s not an AMG, and more importantly, how much do you think it will fetch? At the time of writing, the highest bid was approaching $16,000.