Archives for posts with tag: Mercedes-Benz

G500 Concept, via WCXC

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

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1986 Mercedes-Benz 280 GE • WCXC

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
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We all know about the Unimog, but have you heard about Mercedes-Benz’s other tough truck offering, the Zetros? The Zetros is Mercedes’ answer to extreme-terrain hauling. Do you need to transport a mobile generator to a remote job site or haul ten tons of scientific equipment down a road scratched into the Alaskan wilderness? If so, this is your truck.

The Zetros is available in either 4×4 or 6×6 configurations. Both versions are equipped with a massive 7.2-liter, inline-6 diesel that floods the drivetrain with a mind-bending 959 lb-ft of torque. The differentials lock. The tire pressure is adjustable on the fly. A single axle can carry 9 tons of load.

What if you need all of that hauling ability to carry luxurious living quarters over any conceivable terrain? Well, it can do that too.

More photos of one of those trucks after the jump.

Thanks to our friend Mas for the tip!

Links:
Car & Driver
: Ultra-Luxury Mercedes-Benz 6×6 RVs Tackle Mongolian Wilderness

Mercedes-Benz Zetros Web Special

Wikipedia: Mercedes-Benz Zetros

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Quite a nice Unimog history lesson in this video. It starts at the beginning and covers through 2008.

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This tidy-looking 1978 Unimog U416 is currently on offer at ebay in a no-reserve auction. Besides the 5.7-liter diesel, 20 forward and 8 reverse gears, portal axles, and fully locking diffs, this one features a convertible top, 42″ tires, and front and rear winches. Factory hydraulics are said to have been removed but an onboard air tank for filling up the tires or running shop tools is included. The drop-side bed reveals a six-passenger bench which doubles as a toolbox.

The seller makes no mention of high-speed axles, so expect a 55 mph top speed. If driving slowly is your thing though, you’re in luck. This truck is equipped with “super crawler gears” which enable a top speed of 0.06 mph in first gear.

One Unimog owner on Bring a Trailer commented that, with proper weights fitted, his former-German Air Force Unimog had a towing capacity of 22 tons. That’s 44,000 pounds!

This Unimog is located in Tucson, Arizona. Bidding currently stands at $27,100 with about three days left on the clock.

Update 5/6/2013: A day after this post went up all bids were cancelled, which may indicate that the truck was sold offline. The highest bid offered before the cancellation was $28,500.

Link trail: Bring a Trailer > ebay Read the rest of this entry »


According to the seller, this 300GD has had its original engine swapped with the 5-cylinder turbodiesel from a 300SD. Other stated modifications include a military-spec, Wolf gearbox with crawler low gear, snorkel, bolt-on rock sliders, and factory fender flares. Front and rear locking differentials are, of course, standard on G-wagens.

This truck is currently for sale in Dallas, Texas via ebay with about a day and a half left on the clock. Bidding stands at $21,400 at this time with the reserve unmet.

Update: This truck sold for $32,500.

Link trail: Bring a Trailer > ebay

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If you haven’t seen this video yet, it’s really great. Gunther Holtorf set out with his wife from Germany in 1989 for a road trip. They just kept going. Since then he’s driven over 500,000 miles and visited countries all over the world, including the places one normally wouldn’t think of driving to, like North Korea and Iraq. He’s been on the road now for 23 years.

To watch it, click the video still above or the BBC link below.

Source trail: BBC > Autoblog


There’s a fantastic-looking, 1985 Unimog U1700L/38 DoKa for sale near Seattle at the moment. This truck and its square-jawed brethren represent my favorite iteration of the Unimog concept. They look more purposeful than their round-nosed, 70s-era forebearers, and not as tall and ungainly as Unimog’s most recent offerings. The “L/38” means it’s a long-wheelbase version and “DoKa” is, of course, what Mercedes-Benz engineers like to call a crew cab.

This particular one, an ex-Swedish-Fire-Brigade truck — that’s “Räddningstjänsten” to all of you Nordic types — has just about every feature you could ask for: front and rear locking differentials, front and rear hydraulic winches (a 12,000 lb. Warn in front and a 20,000 lb. Braden in the back), a rear high-speed PTO, two-piece beadlock wheels, and an 5.7L turbo-diesel engine. Payload capacity? Over 3 tons—more than you can haul in three F350s combined!

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Bring a Trailer writes that a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280S rally car is on offer in the Bay Area. I’ve always liked the look of vintage, factory rally cars, with their stacks of big chrome driving lights. How would fun would it be to blast across the desert in this?

The seller says in his Craigslist ad that it will need a roll cage, fuel cell, and fire suppression system, if you decide to take it on a sanctioned rally. It’s listed for $10,000 in Carmel, CA.

Here’s something for all of you G-Wagen fans, a short promotional film for the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.