Top in Automotive: Mercedes G-Class

Showing posts with label Mercedes G-Class. Show all posts

Yippee Ki-Yay, Munich Rivals: Mercedes Stars in New Die Hard Film, BMWs Get Blown Up

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Has it really been 25 years since officer John McClane saved the day, or rather Christmas Eve and the hostages, including his wife at the Nakatomi Plaza? Oh yes, but that didn’t stop Bruce Willis from reprising the role thrice in the intervening years – or rather four times, since he’s also starring in the fifth Die Hard installment that’s coming out on Valentine’s Day.

In “A Good Day to Die Hard”, McClane travels to Moscow, meets his estranged son Jack and, as usual, accidentally gets involved in a terrorist scheme that he has to avert.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

This year’s LA Auto Show Design Challenge theme was about the ultimate highway patrol vehicle of 2025. Mercedes-Benz was one of the carmakers that picked up the gauntlet and its Advanced Design Center California came up with the Ener-G-Force patrol concept.

Their work was deemed good enough to turn the “pure science fiction” Highway Patrol Vehicle into a full-size concept car. Instead of a law enforcement vehicle, though, it became a study of how the G-Wagen, a hardcore off-roader that has been with us since 1979 might evolve in the future.

Friday, November 16, 2012

For this year's LA Auto Show Design Challenge, the organizers of the event asked automakers to dream up a patrol vehicle for the year 2025. Mercedes-Benz's North American arm and its Advanced Design Center California worked their magic and came up with the Ener-G-Force concept for an off-road patrol car.

Not content with the design drawings, Mercedes-Benz brought the Ener-G-Force study to life with a 1:1-scale model, albeit in civilian attire, with plans to present it to the public at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show from the end of the month.

The German carmaker makes no effort to hide the fact that the concept could preview a future design direction for its classic G-Class that has been in production since 1979, having been refined over the years.

"The Ener-G-Force is the vision of an off-roader that, while reflecting tomorrow’s adventures, also invokes the genes of the Mercedes-Benz off-road icon, the G model," explained Gorden Wagener, Director of Design at Mercedes-Benz Cars. "Modern and cool, it could also be a clue about a new beginning for the off-road design idiom of Mercedes-Benz."

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Besides being amongst the most recognizable and oldest cars in production, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class or G-Wagen is also a tremendously capable off-road vehicle and one of the very few models in its class to use three fully locking differentials.

Nevertheless, you can understand that there are limits to what it can achieve. For example, attempting to conquer an extremely steep hillside cresting close to a 90-degree angle at full speed is practically begging for trouble.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The countdown for the grand opening of the 2012 edition of the annual automotive aftermarket extravaganza known as the SEMA Show has begun. In less than a week's time, the Las Vegas Convention Center will open its doors to thousands of tuned and custom concept and production cars.

Besides its own products, Toyo Tires plans to host four specially customized cars at its booth, including two proposals from Japan's Wald International that are making their debut on U.S. soil.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The latest automotive recall notices filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concern the 2011 model year Mercedes-Benz G-Class and certain Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles from the 2003 and 2004 model years for two separate and unrelated issues. Read more »

Mercedes Announces UK Pricing on Updated 2013 G-Class SUV

Monday, August 6, 2012

The refreshed for the 2013 model year Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV with enhancements to its drivetrain, exterior and interior styling and comfort and safety technologies is now available for order in Britain.

The German automaker offers two variants of the G-Class in the UK, the entry level G350 BlueTEC priced from £82,945 OTR and the range topping G63 AMG from £123,115 OTR.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The oldest model in Mercedes-Benz's passenger lineup, the 33 year-old G-Class, is the point of focus of a new video from the brand with the star.

The clip takes us for a short ride back in history and how the G-Class came to be, while Volker Leutz, Mercedes-Benz Designer, and Michael Bock, head of Mercedes-Benz Classic, chip in and talk about the challenges that arose during the recent facelift of the SUV.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Not too long, Mercedes-Benz had contemplated ending production of the rugged G-Class, also known as G-Wagen which is short for Geländewagen, but the Stuttgart-based carmaker changed its mind after seeing a surge in demand for the SUV from China and Russia.

Axel Harries, head of Mercedes SUV product line, told Autonews Europe that sales of the G-Class, which has been in production since 1979, jumped 50 percent over the past three years mainly due to high demand from Russia and China.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

There is big, like this extended wheelbase Mercedes-Benz G500 pickup truck, and then there is really BIG, like the premium 4x4's over-the-top sibling you see pictured above.

Built by German customizer GWF, this oversized G500 pickup truck conversion measures a little over 6.3 meters (248 inches) in length or some 210mm more than a Rolls-Royce Phantom Long Wheelbase limo!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Mercedes-Benz is trying to hit two birds with one stone in its latest commercial for the revised G-Class off-roader.

The brand with the star created a television spot that shows the newest version of the G-Wagen model literally pushing its way into a makeshift parking space at a construction site.

Monday, June 11, 2012

An extended wheelbase, pickup truck conversion of a Mercedes-Benz G-Class is something you expect to see in the land of infinite highways and not in the land of chocolate, beer and streets so tiny that a Toyota/Scion iQ is used to collect imagery from streets that were too narrow for Google's regular camera cars… Read more »

Mercedes-Benz USA Details its 2013 Model Year Introductions and Updates

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

There is plenty of news coming our way from Mercedes-Benz, as the German premium automaker's U.S. division has released detailed information about its 2013 model year lineup.

On the brand-new model front, we have the next GL-Class 7-seat crossover that goes on sale in September with a choice of four engines including a 240hp V6 diesel, while the range-topping GL65 AMG with 550hp will follow early next year.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Although one of the oldest models on the market since it was launched...two years before Ronald Reagan came into office, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is also if not the, one of the most capable luxury off-roaders money (lots of it…) can buy these days.

And it is this quality that Mercedes-Benz wants to promote in its newest TV spots for the revised G-Wagen named "Style" and "Navigation", both of which can be viewed in the videos that follow right past the break.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

So what if the G-Wagen was initially developed as a military vehicle before Mercedes-Benz began offering it as a rough n' tough civilian model back in 1979; tuners continue to see a street racing potential in the G-Class, despite the fact that everything about this model screams "4x4 off-roader".

Then again, Mercedes itself has gone down this path with its insane and utterly pointless AMG variants spearheaded by the new G65 AMG, which sports a…603bhp 6.0-liter bi-turbocharged V12.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

After the release of a handful of pictures on its website on Wednesday, Mercedes-Benz has now published detailed information on the new AMG variants of its refreshed 2013 G-Class series that will make their world premiere at next week's 2012 Beijing Auto Show.

For the new model year, there are two AMG models, including the G63 AMG that replaces the G55 AMG, and the limited production G65 AMG, which we're not sure if it will be available in the States.

The G63 AMG sports Mercedes' 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged and direct-injection V8 engine with a start and stop function that produces 536hp (544PS) and 760Nm (560 lb-ft) of peak torque.

A seven-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system with three separate differentials that can be manually locked transfer power to the wheels.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

When Mercedes-Benz handed us pictures of its revised 2013 G-Class SUV last week, it did not include any shots of the two new AMG models, the V8-powered G63 AMG and the limited-production, G65 AMG that boasts a bi-turbocharged V12.

Now, the German carmaker has published the first official photographs of the G63 AMG on its corporate website, ahead of the SUV's world premiere at the Auto China 2012 in Beijing.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

After discovering the 2013 G-Class lurking behind the updated GLK in one of the official shots and learning that Mercedes will debut the revised version of its longest running model series at the Beijing motor show at the end of April, we knew it was only a matter of time before the Germans made it official.

You will be hard pressed to find any exterior differences but there's more than meets the eye with the 2013 G-Class, as Mercedes revamped the interior while adding two new AMG performance versions to the range.

Mercedes found no reason to alter the exterior appearance of the G-Class, which has been in production for 33 years since 1979, so the only changes are the new LED daytime running lamps and exterior mirrors for all engine variants. The AMG models also get a bespoke radiator grille with double louvres, new bumpers with large air intakes and 20-inch wheels.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Last week, we showed you the first official photo of the reworked 2013 Mercedes-Benz G-Class that made an unanticipated appearance in the background of a press shot for the 2013 GLK.

We we're expecting the updated G-Class to receive its world premiere at next week's 2012 New York Auto Show, but that won't be the case.

After speaking to a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson, Bild journalist Michael Langenwalter sent us an email where he told us that the G-Class will make its first public outing at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show in China on April 23.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

While checking out the photo gallery of the facelifted 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK that was unveiled earlier today, we noticed a G-Class model hiding behind the crossover in one of the images.

Upon closer inspection, it appears that this is the revised 2013 model that we've spied many times in the past but which has yet to be officially revealed.

We're not sure which version of the 5-door model this is, but we can tell you that the only changes we can see from this angle are the LED daytime running lights positioned right under the headlamps and the redesigned exterior mirrors.