The wild Mercedes-AMG G 63 4×4² off-roader is given a lift with clever axle kit

A monster truck of cartoonish proportions that you can actually buy – there are very few genuine usage cases to justify the G 63 4×4², but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t exist. If you’re super- wealthy, always in a hurry and the last few miles of driveway to your Alpine retreat/vineyard/palace aren’t finished, then this brilliantly bonkers but hugely capable G-Class could be just the thing.

The G-Class isn’t an SUV, says Emmerich Schiller, CEO of Mercedes’ G-Class sub-brand: “It’s an off-roader.” He’s not wrong, either, because there are few places on Earth the regular G 500 or G 63 can’t get you.

But back in 2015, with the previous G-Class nearing the end of its life, the company produced the G-Class 4×4², a mad machine with portal axles that took the G-Class to new heights, in every sense. Despite expectations of building just 150 G 500 4×4²s, Merc produced around 2,100.

Enough, then, to justify another one – although this time it’s based on the most powerful AMG version, which makes this 4×4² even more extreme. You’ll struggle to see under the bonnet without a ladder, such is the height increase from those portal axles, but take a peek and you’ll find AMG’s 577bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. That can slingshot the G 63 4×4² from 0-62mph in a preposterous five seconds and on to 131mph, almost regardless of the surface beneath its 22-inch wheels.

That’s half a second slower than a standard G 63, which is forgivable due to the additional 370kg or so that the 4×4² specification adds, but being sat so high, it doesn’t feel any less hilariously rapid. Indeed, it feels more so. Much of that weight is in the new axles, which feature helical gears rather than the straight-cut items in the 4×4²’s predecessor. That’s been done for refinement, so the gear whine that was obvious in the old model has gone, providing real civility inside – so long as you’ve not got that V8 blaring out of the side-exit exhaust pipes at full revs. Do that and you’ll enjoy a gloriously overt soundtrack and shocking speed.

The three biggest buttons in the centre console operate the locking differentials, while there’s a low-range button and drive modes to select, too. The 12.3-inch screens can display everything from inclinometers and the suspension articulation to a forward-view camera. Selecting the off-road modes allows the G 63 4×4² to go absolutely anywhere you point it, thanks to its significantly increased ground clearance (up 113mm to 351mm) and approach, departure and break-over angles, and fording depths that are almost unrivalled. It means there really ain’t no mountain high enough, or river… well, you get the idea.

On the road, where, let’s face it, most 4×4²s are more likely to spend the majority of their time, it’s surprisingly light- footed for such a big machine. Like a rugby prop forward, it’s weighty but agile, and this new G 63 4×4² actually turns in with a finesse that simply wasn’t possible with its predecessor.

There’s been a fair bit of chassis tuning to allow that – so much so that if you order yours with the optional roof rack (with a 90kg dynamic load limit, or 180kg when static if you plan on putting a roof tent on it), you get a different ESP setting to account for the higher centre of gravity.

It rides well, too, although get too carried away and the ESP will start to make its presence felt, albeit more in the background than front of house.

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^{_{Article Credits: Kyle Fortune
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Off-road tuning specialist Delta 4×4 has fitted tracks to a Mercedes-Benz G-Class for extreme winter use. But the mod is not permanent. You can quickly do the reverse conversion.

With three locking differentials, the Mercedes G-Class is a capable off-road vehicle. But when winter strikes, brining along massive snowfalls, even the top off-road skills of the G-Class may not be enough, especially in high-altitude mountainous areas. That’s why a wealthy farmer in the Swiss Alps wanted to make sure he could get his Mercedes G-Class to his 3,000-meter-high (around 9,840 feet) Graubunden hut and called in the specialist off-road modification Delta tuner 4×4 to fit tracks in his vehicle.

The track system is supplied by the Americans from Mattracks, and each wheel assembly weighs no less than 170 kg (375 lb). The drive wheel of the track mounts on the wheel hub, and the linkage to the buckets (the four small wheels at the bottom) is via an articulated mechanism that allows the entire assembly to move a few degrees. The track mounts on an 18.5-inch sprocket and is made of fiber-reinforced rubber. The ground contact area is between 424 and 600 sq cm (65.72 to 93 square inches)  which ensures good grip even in heavy snow conditions.

Because the drive wheel of the track is several times smaller in diameter than the G-Class wheel, the top speed is reduced by the same ratio. So, with the tracks fitted, the G-Class reaches a top speed of only 65 kph (40.39 mph), but in heavy snow, you don’t need more than that.

With the tracks fitted, the G-Class’ ground clearance of 24.1 cm (9.49 inches) is increased by 20 cm (7.87 inches) to 44.1 cm (17.36 inches). The tracks are solid, and the material they’re made of retains its elasticity down to -40 degrees Celsius (-40 Fahrenheit).

The conversion operation is costly. The parts and assembly go as high as 50,000 euros ($52,676) , and a similar amount was spent on homologation and additional tests. Because the Swiss farmer could afford it, he invested a further 20,000 euros ($21,070) for the roof rack, front bumper, and bigger summer tires.

The tracks can be quickly fitted and removed from the vehicle, so the G-Class car can be used with regular wheels when no snow is in the picture. If we calculate, a Mercedes G 500 4×4 Squared costs 250,000 euros ($263,380) and is less capable than this G-Class fitted with tracks. However, with the modifications made, this G-Class with the tracks comes close to the same amount of money.

Article Credits: Răzvan Măgureanu
Full Articles: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/mercedes-benz-g-class-wears-tracks-for-dashing-through-the-snow-205430.html

It was a very good year for heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr, because he added several expensive models to his garage. And he seems to have a favorite, because he bought a Mercedes-AMG G 63 both at the beginning and the end of the year.

Heavyweight champion Andrés Ponce Ruiz Jr., or Andy Ruiz Jr., has decided he needed a lot more cars this year and decided to do something about it.

In January this year, the professional boxer splashed on a 2021 matte bronze Mercedes-AMG G 63 so he would have a good start to the year.

But close to the end of the year, it seems like he felt that just one G-Wagen isn’t enough. So, in late November, the heavyweight champion bought another.

Besides the fact that they are the same model, the two vehicles also come from the same dealership, Champion Motoring, which is a top choice for athletes and other high-profile names when it comes to custom cars. Ruiz Jr is a frequent patron of the dealership, which is based in San Diego, California.

But there are some differences between the two, as well. While the first one came in matte bronze, the new one, which is a 2022 model year, has a “Brilliant Blue” exterior, as Champion Motoring puts it. Plus, it comes with the AMG Night Package, which replaces the regular chrome trim with black elements, and a Designo touch on an impeccable white interior.

When it comes to the same technical details, they share the same 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine rated at 577 horsepower (585 ps) and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque to all wheels through a nine-speed G-Tronic automatic transmission.

The two Mercedes-AMG G 63s weren’t the only purchases Andy Ruiz Jr made recently. He also splashed on a black Rolls-Royce Ghost and a vibrant Lamborghini Urus, all at once. The new vehicles will pair up with the athletes’ “older” cars, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and a Mercedes-Benz G 550 4×4 Squared.

^{Article Credits: Monica Coman
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