Chris Harris, one of my favorite YouTube presenters, gives a quick overview of the Mercedes-Benz G350 G-Wagen for the UK car magazine Evo.
Archives for posts with tag: G-Wagen
The über-wagen pictured above, is what Mercedes-Benz is calling the G500 4×42. Word on the street has it that this new Geländewagen concept will meld the 6×6’s underpinnings with the old G-wagen’s axle count. That means a G500 with portal axles, 18″ bead-lock wheels, an upgraded chassis with dual springs and dampers, and a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 flogging 416 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque.
Although it will debut as a concept at the upcoming 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the website Motor Authority speculates, based on test vehicle sitings, that much of the development work on the production model has already been done.
Check the articles below for more info on this beast, or have a look at the photo set after the jump.
Links:
Motor Authority
Top Gear
Read the rest of this entry »
This, apparent former Bundeswehr (ex-military), 1986 Mercedes-Benz 240GD just showed up on Bring a Trailer. It’s a 2-door, long wheelbase, open top model that’s been fitted with a rooftop tent, stove and cabinets. It’s said to have heavy-duty axles. Power comes from a 4-cylinder diesel which, if my experience with the 240D is any indication, will make it pretty slow.
The speed, or lack thereof, is one caveat. Registration might be another. The ad states that documents for registration will be included. It doesn’t state that the car is registered. OK—it’s a diesel, and older than 1998, so no California smog test, but it’s still a European import. It’s something to think about. Still it could make a fun overlander.
The car is listed on Craigslist and located in Los Angeles, California with an asking price of $25,000.
Tons of photos after the jump.
Links:
Bring a Trailer post
Craigslist ad Read the rest of this entry »
This is a 1986 Mercedes-Benz 280GE in dove grey over a plaid Recaro interior. It’s equipped with a 2.8-liter, inline six, gasoline engine, mated to an automatic, 5-speed transmission. The 460-series G-wagen, of which this is one, was produced between 1979 and 1991, and was available with a variety of gas and diesel powertrain options. The 2.8-liter six was the most powerful of these, good for 156hp and 166 lb-ft of torque, according to Wikipedia.
Space-saving, folding, jump seats can be found in the rear of the truck, making this 9-passenger vehicle. Other options include factory A/C and power windows. The original stereo has, unfortunately, been replaced.
The odometer shows 32,384 miles. Given that these trucks have a five-digit odometer, however, it’ll take some sleuthing to verify that without corroborating service records. Original owner’s and service manuals are included. Perhaps there’s a clue there.
This 80s-era G-wagen is being offered for $34,950 and is located in Bellevue, Washington. Now $35k is pushing right up against used G500 money. This one is more charming and, with its smaller wheels, more ready for off-road duty, than its newer brothers but you’ll be missing out front and rear heated seats. Don’t think you’re going to get better mileage though. Gas mileage for both the six and the eight-cylinder models is a pump-wrenching 12–14 mpg.
More photos and the original ad text after the jump.
Links:
ebay: 1986 Mercedes-Benz G-Class 280 GE
Bring a Trailer: 32K Mile 1986 Mercedes Benz 280GE
Wikipedia: Mercedes-Benz G-Class Read the rest of this entry »
This matte-black, milspec G-wagen, a 1990 Mercedes-Benz/Puch 230GE, is the the upmarket G500’s bare-bones, older cousin. While locking front, rear, and center differentials, and legendary off-road capabilities, are baked into the G-wagen DNA, you’ll have do without the brawny V8, and front-and-rear heated, leather seats in this version.
Power, in this case, comes from a 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder, gasoline engine good for 125 hp and 141 lb-ft of torque. Whether that’s enough to motivate a long wheelbase (LWB) G-wagen, you’ll have to determine with a test drive. Out back it’s configured as a soft-top with seating for six, most likely via two, long, folding, bench seats (in addition to the two seats in the front, of course). The transmission is a 4-speed manual.
Mileage is listed as 69,300 km, but, if the odometer has only five digits, look carefully around the truck for wear to make sure the odo. hasn’t been rolled over. One good place to check are the rubber pads on the foot pedals. On a high-mileage car, they’ll be quite worn. Also make sure the odometer is running consistently and doesn’t cut out after five miles or so.
It’s listed at CN$26,500, which is a significantly higher price than I’ve seen elsewhere online (check the links below). If it’s a nice example though, you’ll surely be able to negotiate.
The truck is located in Vancouver, Canada, and is one year away from legal import status to the US (the 25-year rule).
Special thanks to WCXC reader Clay R. for spotting this one for us.
EDIT: Craigslist link fixed.
More photos after the jump.
Links:
Craigslist: 1990 MERCEDES / PUCH Military G-wagen
WCXC: G-wagens previously posted on Spotted
Swiss Army Vehicles: G-wagen page
GWOA (G-Wagen Owners Asso.): 230GE Buying Advice forum post
Steel Soldiers: 230 GE advice forum post
Wikipedia: G-Wagen
Here’s an interesting video of a group of friends off-roading in the Nevada desert. Three of the guys bring Gen2 Monteros to the party. Another brings a Gen3. The last brings a G-wagen.
A couple of things interest me about it. For one, we get to see how two generations of Montero stack up against each other and the G-wagen in tricky, slippery, sometimes off-camber, terrain. And two, it reminds me that skills count as much, if not more, than equipment. Practice makes perfect.
For times when an already capable 4-wheel-drive G Class just won’t do, Mercedes-Benz has announced that, come October, it will offer this outrageous-looking 6×6 version.
It’s specified in G63 trim, meaning this über-off-roader will get its grunt from a twin-turbo, AMG 5.5-liter V8, which will slam 544 horsepower and 560 foot-pounds of torque through a seven-speed, automatic transmission. That’s enough to propel this 8,300-lb. goliath from 0 to 60 in about 6 seconds. Damn.
Other features include portal axles, five locking differentials, cabin-controlled tire pressure adjustment, and 37-inch wheels.
Interested? The price hasn’t been set but expect to pay in the neighborhood of $450,000.
Want to read more? Check the links below. More photos after the jump.
Links: Yahoo Autos – Motor Authority – Motor Trend
A pretty amazing thing showed up on Bring a Trailer yesterday: a Dutch company that sells vintage G-Wagens from German fire departments. They’re all incredibly low mileage, reasonably priced, and — if I know anything about Germans — extraordinarily well maintained.
Take the 280 GE above example. It’s covered only 21,000 kms since 1983. That’s only a hair over 13,000 miles! The price? 19,900 Euros. You’d pay a mere $26,259 at today’s rates.
This one is equipped with a gasoline-powered, 6-cylinder, fuel-injected, M110 engine, mated to a manual transmission, of course. The ad doesn’t state whether the emergency lights and siren are functional but that awesome fluorescent red paint seems to be working just fine.
It’s over 25 years old, so importing it to the U.S. should be hassle free. And this isn’t the only one on the site.
Link trail: Bring a Trailer post > Original ad
Update: Here’s a video of a similar one in action. Read the rest of this entry »
Do you remember when the G500 trickled into the U.S. in tiny numbers and sold for around $130,000? Those were the days before Mercedes-Benz began to officially import them in 2001. Well, one of those $130k G500s is for sale on Expo right now for $17,500. Read the rest of this entry »
Wow, this is a new one on me. It’s custom-built Mercedes-Benz G500 pickup. This teutonically tough crew cab sports widely flared fenders over 38″ Mickey Thompson tires and retains its original 5-liter, gasoline engine. Although it currently resides in the Netherlands, shipping to Baltimore is included in the price. According to the seller, the truck was registered in the United States before its conversion. Hopefully the addition of a eight-foot pick-up truck bed won’t raise too many eyebrows at customs.
Amazingly, the truck looks so right, as if it had come from the factory like any other G500 variant. It’s as if they had a cousin they never knew. Oh, Otto von Haulenstuf! Look —he’s got the family chin!
In case you’re interested in bringing this lost cousin back to America, bidding currently stands at $45,100 with an unmet reserve. The Buy It Now price is $99,000. Not bad, von Haulenstuf.
Update: Bid up to $62,100 without meeting reserve.
Link trail: Bring a Trailer > Ebay