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Just in case the regular G63 AMG from Mercedes-Benz wasn’t extreme enough, the company will soon be offering this six-wheeled version.
The vehicle is built alongside the regular G Class range at Magna Steyr's operations in Graz, Austria, and was originally developed for the Australian military as the G-Wagon, which started rolling out to our troops in 2011 -- including the version fitted with an additional axle for 6WD. But it turns out there was enough interest in the 6WD vehicle to also warrant the development of a civilian version for overseas markets.
Speaking with Autoweek, the head of development for the Mercedes-Benz G Class line, Axel Harries, said pricing for the vehicle hasn’t been announced but interested buyers can expect to pay around 350,000 euro ($457,000).
While in its original military spec the vehicle was based on the diesel-powered G320 CDI, for civilian use Mercedes decided to go with the more powerful -- and more luxurious -- G63 trim. This means it comes powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V-8, rated at 400 kilowatts and 758 newton metres of torque and matched to a seven-speed automatic transmission. The G63 AMG 6x6 is going to need most of that grunt as it tips the scales at a hefty 3774 kilograms.
It comes with a four-door cabin, six driven wheels, low range gearing, a tire-control system for its standard 37-inch wheels, and five differential locks that offer 100 percent lockup of all six wheels via a trio of switches on the dash.
The vehicle’s overall length is close to 5.8 metres, which means owners may have trouble squeezing it into a regular-sized parking spot. Ground clearance is 450 millimetres, some 249 millimetres higher than on the stock G63 AMG.
At the back is a polished bamboo -- it's still a luxury vehicle -- cargo bed, which has a maximum payload capacity of 350 kilograms. The G63 AMG 6x6 officially goes on sale in October. Currently, Mercedes is predicting sales of between 20 and 30 units annually. Sadly, none of those will be coming to Australia.
"It's being made only in left-hand drive, so we won't be able to bring any here," Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman Jerry Stamoulis says. So for Aussies who want to get into the beast, the closest option is to enlist and hope they get behind the wheel of an ADF version.
