But 4.5-seconds to 100km/h. #WorthIt
Even though Mercedes-Benz’s all-new G-Class might not seem like the consummate performance car, that hasn’t stopped the nutters at AMG from having a go at it. The result of their efforts, the Mercedes-AMG G63, will be arriving on our shores in August, with a twin-turbo V8, all-wheel drive, and the most ludicrous of soundtracks.
Oh, and it’ll set you back nearly a quarter of a million dollars.
The big ticket item is, naturally a 4.0-litre biturbo V8, which puts out a substantial 430kW and 850Nm, with power going to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic gearbox. As is customary on the G, there’s a low-range that you can switch to on the move, not that any owner will ever use that.
All that power can rocket the not-light G-Class from rest to 100km/h in 4.5-seconds, which is massively impressive for something that has the aerodynamic properties of a brick.
Marking out the G63 from more plebeian Gelandewagens are unique touches like the standard 21-inch alloys, the Panamericana grille (which looks really odd in this application), side-mounted exhaust piples, red-brake callipers, and a liberal smattering of AMG badges.
Step inside and you’re greeted by the widescreen twin 12.3-inch infotainment display, blown away by the 15-speaker Burmester audio system, and enamoured by the ambient lighting which can be customised to one of 64 hues.
You’ll be cosseted by electric Nappa leather seats, and entertained by a large COMAND infotainment system, with DAB digital radio, and smartphone mirroring. There are advanced driver assistance (ADAS) systems like active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping aid, AEB, and traffic-sign recognition. Pretty impressive.
Should you want to spend an even more ludicrous amount on your G63, Benz has generously offered a $5900 ‘Night Package,’ which turns the brightness down on everything. For the extra dosh you’ll bag tinted indicator lenses, bumper trims in black, bash plates in black, spare wheel cover in black, and 22-inch alloys… in black. Murderous.
But if you still have money burning in a hole in your pocket, you can go for the G63 Edition 1 variant, which retails with a $19.5k premium ($267,200). Going for an Edition 1 will net you all the things the Night Pack added on, as well as things like diamond-quilted black Nappa leather seats with massage and ventilation functionalities, “silver shadow” air vent finishes, and ‘AMG’ badging embedded on the seats. Oh, and there’s ‘red-pepper’ carbon fibre trim, because open-pore wood in a performance car isn’t acceptable, apparently.
For more information on Mercedes-AMG, check out our Showroom.
