What
you’re looking at here is a four-wheeled version of the bombastic
Mercedes G63 6x6. ‘But wait!’ I hear you cry. ‘Doesn’t that just make it
a regular G-Class?’ Not quite.
Other than the obvious
extra pair of wheels, the 6x6 is blessed with all sorts of hardcore
modifications over the regular G, including a considerably higher ground
clearance, massive wheels shod in chunky off-road tyres (with arch
extensions to suit) and portal axles. And all of that extreme off-road
clobber features on this: the G500 4×4².
Once you get over the fact that Four-by-Four-Squared is a hopelessly rubbish name for a car, this all seems like a jolly good idea. Having myself witnessed a G63 6x6 struggling to manoeuvre out of the car park of a swanky Knightsbridge hotel, it’s quite clear the vehicle’s massive size makes it a bit of a faff for the real world. With the G500 Four-by-Four-Squared, you’d have similar terrain bashing ability without the size issues of the 6x6.
However, another aspect you don’t get - as you might gather from the ‘G500’ in the name - is a turbocharged 5.5-litre AMG V8. Instead, this new G makes do with a naturally aspirated version sporting a more modest (but still pokey) 416bhp.
The 4×4² will say a rather imposing hello at next month’s Geneva motorshow. It’s officially being dubbed as a ‘show car’ for now, but a production run seems likely.
Once you get over the fact that Four-by-Four-Squared is a hopelessly rubbish name for a car, this all seems like a jolly good idea. Having myself witnessed a G63 6x6 struggling to manoeuvre out of the car park of a swanky Knightsbridge hotel, it’s quite clear the vehicle’s massive size makes it a bit of a faff for the real world. With the G500 Four-by-Four-Squared, you’d have similar terrain bashing ability without the size issues of the 6x6.
However, another aspect you don’t get - as you might gather from the ‘G500’ in the name - is a turbocharged 5.5-litre AMG V8. Instead, this new G makes do with a naturally aspirated version sporting a more modest (but still pokey) 416bhp.
The 4×4² will say a rather imposing hello at next month’s Geneva motorshow. It’s officially being dubbed as a ‘show car’ for now, but a production run seems likely.
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