Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz isn't exactly the most daring, progressive car maker out there, and the best model to prove its traditionalism is the all-mighty G-Class. But the evergreen design that has remained almost unchanged over the course of the last few decades can be deceiving.
Lately, Mercedes tried to spice things up a little and came up with the ridiculously astonishing Mercedes-AMG G63 6x6. It had a price that would make a sheik blush and was only offered in a limited run, but it was enough to recapture people's attention towards the G-Class.
Taken a little by surprise by this overwhelming success the G63 6x6 had, Mercedes-Benz decided to build something a little more... conventional, and so it developed the G500 4x4 Squared (or 4x4²). It was a fairly regular short-wheelbase G-Class, but it came with one very important twist: the portal axles.
Instead of axles that joined the centers of the wheels, the Mercedes-Benz G500 4x4² makes clever use of gears to move the actual axle higher up, allowing the car to cross rough terrain without the fear of breaking it. It also made the car taller, which isn't exactly something you'd want from a V8-powered vehicle capable of impressive acceleration and top speed figures.
While it's not exactly a limited edition per se, you won't come across it too often either given its prohibitive price. In Germany, a G500 4x4² costs €226,100 (around $254,000), which - hold on to your seat - is over €80,000 more than a Mercedes-AMG G63, and just €45,000 less than the Mercedes-AMG G65. For reference, €80,000 are almost enough to buy the most accessible G-Class, the G350d diesel powered by a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel (listed at €89,000).
Having said all this, we still believe that the news of the G500 4x4² possibly coming over to the States - as reported by Motor1, citing a discussion with Bart Herring, the Mercedes-Benz general manager of product planning in the USA - is an excellent one. For anyone appreciating an incredible off-road vehicle that also offers more than decent on-road performances, it doesn't get any better than this.
Taken a little by surprise by this overwhelming success the G63 6x6 had, Mercedes-Benz decided to build something a little more... conventional, and so it developed the G500 4x4 Squared (or 4x4²). It was a fairly regular short-wheelbase G-Class, but it came with one very important twist: the portal axles.
Instead of axles that joined the centers of the wheels, the Mercedes-Benz G500 4x4² makes clever use of gears to move the actual axle higher up, allowing the car to cross rough terrain without the fear of breaking it. It also made the car taller, which isn't exactly something you'd want from a V8-powered vehicle capable of impressive acceleration and top speed figures.
While it's not exactly a limited edition per se, you won't come across it too often either given its prohibitive price. In Germany, a G500 4x4² costs €226,100 (around $254,000), which - hold on to your seat - is over €80,000 more than a Mercedes-AMG G63, and just €45,000 less than the Mercedes-AMG G65. For reference, €80,000 are almost enough to buy the most accessible G-Class, the G350d diesel powered by a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel (listed at €89,000).
Having said all this, we still believe that the news of the G500 4x4² possibly coming over to the States - as reported by Motor1, citing a discussion with Bart Herring, the Mercedes-Benz general manager of product planning in the USA - is an excellent one. For anyone appreciating an incredible off-road vehicle that also offers more than decent on-road performances, it doesn't get any better than this.
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