Mercedes-AMG G63- 04.14.14
The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen (short for Geländewagen aka cross country vehicle) is a design icon in its own right. Love it or hate it, that shape is unmistakeable, and has definitely has quite a history. It even has a fascinating Wikipedia page - apparently it was originally created as a military vehicle in the early 70s and the first civilian version emerged in 1979. And it’s the “longest produced Mercedes-Benz in Daimler’s history, with a span of 32 years. Only the UNIMOG beats it.” Amazing right? And unlike most other vehicles, the general body shape and style has changed minimally! And to take the G-Wagen to the next level?
The nice folks at Mercedes loaned us the stunningly powerful Mercedes-AMG G63 all murdered out in matte black down to the wheels… complete with a diamond quilted black leather interior. First things first - yes, the monstrous and powerful G63 is totally absurd… it’s faster than most sports cars, sounds like a beast (we scared many a mini), and it’s unlikely many will ever explore proper 4x4 terrains… BUT, that being said, it is so much fun. Take a peek at our adventures with the G63 as well as fun details with it on the next page… it’s one of the first press cars i’ve been missing since it got picked up!
You never really know a car till you live with it for a few days and do every day things with it… I’ve always wondered how that factory matte paint would hold up… especially in the rain with watermarks… well the first night we tucked it away in our workshop, but running around the next day it got properly rained on, and to our surprise, still looked great!
Cruising out to Malibu (where we saw at least a dozen more G-Wagens) for a first test drive… handles great, but the suspension is so stiff that even in comfort mode you feel - everything.
It really changes your perspective to have all your windows and body panels be so perpendicular to the road… especially trippy when lined up next to a bus and it was almost like a flat wall of glass between us.
Quad exhausts - 2 on each SIDE. Make sure your passengers are in before you start it up! Also, the look on the faces of drivers of smaller cars in adjacent lanes slightly behind you… they change so fast as the G63 roars alongside them!
The designo Exclusive Leather Package diamond-stitched napa leather worked well in contrast with the harshly angular car and grew on me.
Love the retro Mercedes golf tee like door locks… though when locking and unlocking the first few times we all JUMPED. They are loud, mechanical, and almost gunshot like!
Depending on your needs, when you flip up the backseats, you have a spacious flatbed to fill with just about anything!
Tucked beneath the back seat…
Nice details on the trunk cover, love how minimalist the hook system is.
It takes quite the camera angle to see past the spare tire!
Bolt reflections in the hood…
The gaps between panels are pretty big ~ but inside the sound inside (considering you’re flying down the road in essentially a large box) is impressively quiet.
Now to peek under the hood…
Here’s the 5.5L V8 with 536 horsepower that can do 0-60 in 5.3 sec!
AMG is all about one man, one engine. This one was handcrafted by Patrick Ossentowski.
Large as it is - it’s so boxy it’s easier to park than you’d think. The corners are exactly where you see them! And it’s not all that wide to slip into parking spots either!
The one time we had it look more cute than beastly was at our Highland Park Hero’s Chest Dinner where Jonathan pulled up his HUGE Icon 1965 Dodge D200 Power Wagon.
And as for how loud a roar it starts up with… it set off the alarm of the Maserati Ghibli we were also playing with a few times too!
So all in all - the Mercedes-AMG G63 is a beast. Absurdly fun. And while i’m tempted, i’m more curious about the G550 now for off-roading…
And on one last silly little detail… doesn’t this passenger side cup holder look like a mini basketball hoop?
Wow, would love this.
----- Sierra 14.04.14 20:31