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Exclusive: Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² Review
Ahead of its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2015 we had the exclusive opportunity to drive the Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² Concept in Spain. G500 meets G63 6×6!
‘Go, go, go!’ says the Mercedes-Benz G-Class test driver as a small Renault Clio is slowing us down on a narrow mountain road in Andalusia. Right foot down and the V8 propels us passed the Clio. Coming around a right bend a sharp left turn comes as quite a surprise. We step on the brake hard and enter the corner with more speed than deemed possible…
Mercedes-Benz describes the Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² as a near-series show car, in reality it just requires testing and homologation to take the Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² Concept to production. A decision hasn’t been made yet, but we deem it highly unlikely that this car will not make production. The G500 4×4² is the next step in the now 36-year long history of the G-Class and follows the incredible success of the G63 AMG 6×6, which is now officially sold out.
The Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² comes with a brand new V8 which is related to the new AMG V8 found in the new AMG GT and C63 AMG. The 4.0 V8 features a hot inside-v where two turbochargers are mounted inside the V8. This makes the engine considerably smaller and more efficient. It produces 422 hp and 610 Nm of torque, enough for a 210 km/h top speed.
The portal axles give the 4×4² a ground clearance of 45 cm – 24 cm more than a regular G500. It is more than enough to drive over extremely rocky terrain and wade through up to 1 meter of water. But just in case you do meet that 50 cm high rock, Mercedes-Benz mounted an extremely robust stainless steel under guard to protect the car.
Thanks to the larger wheel arches and wheels the overhang in the front and back have been reduced even further and you can drive up approaches of 52 degrees easily. That is only 36 degrees for a normal G500. The portal axles usage on G wagons find their origin at the military and they have been tested through and through in the toughest conditions you can imagine.
One of our favorite sounding cars of the last decade is the normal G500 with its naturally aspirated V8. With ever stricter emission regulations its inevitable that most large displacement, naturally aspirated engines will be replaced with smaller turbocharged engines. So how does the new 4.0 V8 compare to the old 5.5 V8 in terms of sound? Well, it still sounds like a typical AMG V8, loud, angry and ready to attack. But the character of the sound changes with the revs and throttle input – more so than in the ‘old’ V8. Overall the volume seems a bit lower, which can be a good thing on long journeys but might score slightly lower in the show-off department. On the other hand you don’t really have to worry about anybody not noticing you when you drive down the boulevard in Cannes with the G500 4×4².
In Granada a beautiful off-road area is waiting for us to explore. But before we can let all hell loose with the G500 4×4² in the mud we change the wheels and tires. The Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² comes with two sets of wheels and tires. One 22 inch road set with a top speed of 210 km/h and decent off-road capability and one off-road set with special 18 inch beadlock wheels and off-road tires for the real off-road duties.
The two piece beadlock wheels have the tire pinched in so tightly between the wheel halves and the inner beadlock ring that the tire cannot slip off the rim even when the tire is completely flat. This has the advantage that you can drive with extremely low tire pressures (below 1.0 bar) for maximum grip in loose sand – per example in the desert in Dubai.
Coming to a conclusion about the G500 4×4², we have to say it is the most capable street legal all terrain vehicle we have ever driven. And thanks to being shorter and lighter it is more usable than the 6×6 without losing much of its outlandish street presence.
It is the coolest thing on four-wheels that we hope to be able to buy soon. The production decision is still pending but we are quite confident it will make production. And once it does we expect it to be a fair bit cheaper as the G63 6×6 AMG which came in close to 400,000 euro, we expect the G500 4×4² to get a price tag closer to 220,000 euro.
Finally asked why they built the G500 4×4² show car, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class director replied: “Because we can!”.
And we believe that, all off-road supremacy aside, that will also be a key argument why many people will buy the G500 4×4² when it goes into production.
Ahead of its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2015 we had the exclusive opportunity to drive the Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² Concept in Spain. G500 meets G63 6×6!
‘Go, go, go!’ says the Mercedes-Benz G-Class test driver as a small Renault Clio is slowing us down on a narrow mountain road in Andalusia. Right foot down and the V8 propels us passed the Clio. Coming around a right bend a sharp left turn comes as quite a surprise. We step on the brake hard and enter the corner with more speed than deemed possible…
Mercedes-Benz describes the Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² as a near-series show car, in reality it just requires testing and homologation to take the Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² Concept to production. A decision hasn’t been made yet, but we deem it highly unlikely that this car will not make production. The G500 4×4² is the next step in the now 36-year long history of the G-Class and follows the incredible success of the G63 AMG 6×6, which is now officially sold out.
The Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² comes with a brand new V8 which is related to the new AMG V8 found in the new AMG GT and C63 AMG. The 4.0 V8 features a hot inside-v where two turbochargers are mounted inside the V8. This makes the engine considerably smaller and more efficient. It produces 422 hp and 610 Nm of torque, enough for a 210 km/h top speed.
The portal axles give the 4×4² a ground clearance of 45 cm – 24 cm more than a regular G500. It is more than enough to drive over extremely rocky terrain and wade through up to 1 meter of water. But just in case you do meet that 50 cm high rock, Mercedes-Benz mounted an extremely robust stainless steel under guard to protect the car.
Thanks to the larger wheel arches and wheels the overhang in the front and back have been reduced even further and you can drive up approaches of 52 degrees easily. That is only 36 degrees for a normal G500. The portal axles usage on G wagons find their origin at the military and they have been tested through and through in the toughest conditions you can imagine.
One of our favorite sounding cars of the last decade is the normal G500 with its naturally aspirated V8. With ever stricter emission regulations its inevitable that most large displacement, naturally aspirated engines will be replaced with smaller turbocharged engines. So how does the new 4.0 V8 compare to the old 5.5 V8 in terms of sound? Well, it still sounds like a typical AMG V8, loud, angry and ready to attack. But the character of the sound changes with the revs and throttle input – more so than in the ‘old’ V8. Overall the volume seems a bit lower, which can be a good thing on long journeys but might score slightly lower in the show-off department. On the other hand you don’t really have to worry about anybody not noticing you when you drive down the boulevard in Cannes with the G500 4×4².
In Granada a beautiful off-road area is waiting for us to explore. But before we can let all hell loose with the G500 4×4² in the mud we change the wheels and tires. The Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² comes with two sets of wheels and tires. One 22 inch road set with a top speed of 210 km/h and decent off-road capability and one off-road set with special 18 inch beadlock wheels and off-road tires for the real off-road duties.
The two piece beadlock wheels have the tire pinched in so tightly between the wheel halves and the inner beadlock ring that the tire cannot slip off the rim even when the tire is completely flat. This has the advantage that you can drive with extremely low tire pressures (below 1.0 bar) for maximum grip in loose sand – per example in the desert in Dubai.
Coming to a conclusion about the G500 4×4², we have to say it is the most capable street legal all terrain vehicle we have ever driven. And thanks to being shorter and lighter it is more usable than the 6×6 without losing much of its outlandish street presence.
It is the coolest thing on four-wheels that we hope to be able to buy soon. The production decision is still pending but we are quite confident it will make production. And once it does we expect it to be a fair bit cheaper as the G63 6×6 AMG which came in close to 400,000 euro, we expect the G500 4×4² to get a price tag closer to 220,000 euro.
Finally asked why they built the G500 4×4² show car, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class director replied: “Because we can!”.
And we believe that, all off-road supremacy aside, that will also be a key argument why many people will buy the G500 4×4² when it goes into production.
