No, the G-Wagen isn’t gone for good… but let’s face it, we all know nothing lasts forever. Having been built with only one major technical change since 1979, the G-Wagen’s inevitable ride into the sunset is beginning with the end of production for the short-wheelbase, two-door version that we’ve never (officially) received here in the US. A complete shutdown of Graz, Austria production has been whispered about since (at least) 2005, when Mercedes nearly stopped shipping Gs to the US (according to Wikipedia, only an order from the US Marines [Devil Dog G-Wagens FTW!] stopped Mercedes from cutting America off from the G-loving). But, according to Auto Motor und Sport, the convertible and four-door versions will continue to be built… for the moment. Think of this as an opportunity for a bit of proactive mourning….
I’ve never understood the love for this ground bound pterodactyl. Initially designed for the military of the Shah of Iran in the mid-70’s, it was a mutant throwback from the start. Not big enough to carry much, not powerful enough (OK, AMG. But really…), expensive for the sake of being expensive..I don’t know, sounds like a candidate for a chest wig to me. Just because rich people have to have something different is no reason for the rest of us who actually know something about cars should worship this….Thing. Ah, yes, the MB Thing.
Bleh, give me Lamborghini LM002
Thanks, same thought here.
Base MSRP for this thing is $115,000 in Canada (not including taxes, freight, and other miscellaneous charges). I have a hard time mourning something that seems so dramatically overpriced.
When the G-wagen was introduced, it was a Puch among Mercedes. Now, it feels like the last real Mercedes surrounded by tacky garbage. Not that the G55 AMG and its closest kin weren’t tacky, but they certainly weren’t disposable.
The last real Mercedes is from the 70s?
Too bad I cant remember the word. (to call you it)
The last real Mercedes to be introduced was the W202 C-class, but it went out of production a decade ago.
‘cept it’s not actually a merc, it’s a Styr-Puch
Nicodemus, read my first post on the topic. I said it was a Puch, but now it FEELS LIKE the last real Mercedes, primarily because nothing else in the current catalogue has anything to do with the engineering driven cars that made the brand.
Rather spend that kind of money on a lightly used Wrangler and then enough upgrades to make it the most capeable vehicle that most mortals could imagine. (‘Cept for vehicles that go into combat.)
It’s a very different vehicle than the wrangler. Strip off all the bling, and it’s still very much a (relatively) modern military vehicle underneath.
You could also buy a surplus Canadian Army Iltis if you really want serious off-road, and upgrade the engine to something with somewhat greater speed-gathering capabilities …
I’m with you Dan – get a last-of-the-old-school TJ Wranglers (2006 was the last year for that bodystyle) with the Rubicon package – factory air-lockers for both front and rear axles, 4:1 transfer case, inline six that has tons of low-end torque…and tons of aftermarket support to make it into anything you want.
Better yet, as long as you don’t mind their lack of highway speeds, Pinzgauers offer greater capacity in a shorter overall length and you can still obtain good examples for under $20K. Go for one of the K-series radio wagons and get a Yukon-sized interior in a Fiesta-length box.
Pinzgauers are on the cheap right now. Nice 710 models can be had for less thank 10k, and 712 (6×6) can be gotten around 15k. Its not a very comfortable or quiet vehicle though. But I can out offroad any G Wagon or Wrangler with 8 to 10 of my closest friends on board.
As an aside, Pinzies were built in the same Graz, Austria factory as the G Wagon since they were part Puch. Steyr Diamler Puch to be exact.
Getting a little carried away, no?
Pinzgauers, Unimogs and the like are nowhere close to being viable transportation for most people. I used to have a few Mogs in my fleet when I worked in the southern Congo. Incredible capable vehicle. But not really a car. OTOH, the G-class, Toyota LC78/79, LR Defender, etc, even in the most basic trim are still essentially a car.
They still make these things? 15+ years ago these were a cute novelty for the very rich. I’m unaware of any current shortage of overpriced and outdated tractors.
Every time I see one of these I think: “There goes somebody with far more money than sense.”
They should have kept building/developing the R107 instead of this clown car.
@Chuck, I suspect the military sales of the R107 might have been slightly smaller than those of the G-Wagen!
The Benz engineers called the R107 a “panzerwagen” so why not mount a turret on it?
Keep in mind that the blinged-out G500 and G55 that are sold in the US are very different from the bare-bones G-wagens sold to the military.
Similarly, the Hummer H1 started out as just a Hummer, with a base price of $46,000 for the soft top version. Then it got blinged up over the years and eventually sold as an H1 for $140,000 (?).
I talked to a Mercedes salesman in Germany in the 1990s. He liked the G-Wagen because he claimed that the tooling and development costs had been amortized a long time ago and each car cost DM40,000 to make and sold for DM100,000 (or something like that). I’m not sure which particular model he was talking about. According to this guy, there was a ton of profit in those cars.
Even if it is inefficient and overpriced, there is still something cool about the fact that you can buy a brand-new 32-year-old truck (and one from the “over-engineered glory days” of Mercedes at that).
By the way, Jeep kept the original Grand Wagoneer for almost as long (1963-1991), and the CJ/Wrangler stayed more or less the same from 1944-1986!
In Brazil, you can still by a VW Kombi (type 2), in production since 1967, not much has changed except for the switch to a water-cooled engine. Not exactly a modern vehicle by now, though … but 44 years is quite respectable. And it’ll soldier on for a few more years yet, until the 2014 (?) regulations in Brazil force it out of production.
Point taken but you do have to admire the cunning marketing of the MB seller and the gullibility of the (supposedly smart and economically advantaged) MB buyers at this non-Jeep-like $130K+ (G55)price point. The value comparison to the ToyoLex Land Crusher is not a pretty one for this admittedly anvil tough ego cruiser but that’s up to the folks that buy these. The page that the article refers to above at: “DevilDog-Wagens…” above says the Marines wanted something to fit inside HH53 helos and the narrow G makes a lot of sense if that’s your goal. I’ll bet they didn’t use them much after the first few IED’s.
The passenger LandCruiser and the LX aren’t in the same class of vehicle as the G-class.
OTOH, the LandCruiser 70 series is. You can still buy these new today, just not in the US and are essentially the same vehicle since they started selling them in 1984.
No argument there except that we aren’t talking about the Seregeti or downtown Timbuktu here in the states, we’re talking about buying G’s and driving them to the mall in Rancho Palos Verdes. You’re absolutely right about them not being in the same class.
The G wagon has a certain panache. Compared to Mercedes’ other SUVs, it’s really the only one with unique style. I see a couple of them driving around town from time to time, including one that always looks very out of place in a Wal-Mart parking lot.
Used on Autotrader they are listing for about $30K with 100,000 miles, which means at the extreme end of depreciation they are doing better than most Merc models.
Too bad, because long ago I decided if I ever buy a G, it will be the short w-b one, which, alas!, is rare in the States.
Has anyone ever seen a G-wagon off-road in North America? Or even on a gravel road? Or one that has dirt on it?
To think of all the things that money could better be spent on.
Cutting edge WWII off road tech introduced in 1979. Having seen the light through portal axles (and there’s a lot of it with a Pinzgauer’s ground clearance) I’ve viewed the G-wagen as a pricey curiosity ever since.
How many other trucks still look good after thirty years of continuous production? Top Gear’s latest visit with this truck says it all.
On top of being horribly overpriced, these things have never been very reliable. I’d much rather have a previous generation Toyota Land Cruiser.
The former gets a 6-cylinder diesel engine with BlueTEC emissions control, 211 hp and 540 Nm. In the G500, a 5.5-litre V8 petrol engine with 388 hp and 530 Nm takes its place. Alongside the permanent AWD with off-road ratio and 7G-Tronic seven-speed auto, the standard spec includes the electronically controlled traction system 4ETS, ESP and three differential locks with 100% locking effect selectable at the push of a button.
I love these. Wastefully, flagrantly overpriced and better off for it.
One navy-blue G55 passes me twice a day.
Hmmm…Maybe I should have bought that 1976 Ford Bronco as my first new car after all, so long ago!
Mercedes’ Crown Vic.
You need a Kubelwagen to go with your avatar, which I really like!
That would be cool but after stuffing the colonel alongside Sgt. S. there’s no more room.