A brand new Mercedes-AMG G63 isn’t what we’d call cheap, if you can even get one. The luxury off-road monster can literally go anywhere in a style uniquely its own, but it’s big, pricey and not the most fuel efficient. So what if you want a G63 but want to get it on the cheap? You build your own out of a Suzuki Jimny.
The Jimny is the darling of forbidden fruit. It’s the opposite of the Mercedes. It’s inexpensive, frugal and small. It’s off-road prowess comes from determination and grit instead of horsepower and torque. But it is boxy like the G-Wagon. So that counts for something.
Fast Car Service out of Dubai offers this conversion for $12,250. It includes using bespoke Mercedes bits on the Jimny to make it look more like the G63. Custom components are used where Mercedes bits don’t work. What’s especially lovely is the little 1.5-liter engine in the Jimny gets side-exit exhausts just like the Mercedes-AMG version does. Though it’s safe to say they don’t sound the same.
The upgrades are nearly half the price of a brand new Jimny. Though that’s only a fraction of the starting price of a $147,500 for the full-size, full-on version of the Geländewagen.
I like the new Jimny the way it is. I like the quirky colors and simplistic interior. While I get why it wouldn’t do well in the United States, I’m not sure if I had one I’d want to drop a bunch of money into it to make it look like something else. But the quality of the Dubai firm’s work looks great and it is well executed. I feel like it’d be a great supplement to a regular G-Wagon already in the garage for those who are positioned well enough to have one.
Nothing says fake like a fake G-wagon
What’s amazing is the 1960’s death traps still allowed in UNECE markets as long as “traction nannies” and driving assists are present.
Well it did as well as the Mustang on EuroNCAP, so what are you going on about? 3 star – hardly a 1960s death trap.
https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/suzuki/jimny/33370
Great as long as you realize those aren’t necessarily current crash standards. It goes by when the platform first went on the market. If you trust it better or as well as the current Mustang, I did what I could.
Here in Hamburg (where every 5th car seems to be a G) I’ve seen the first Jimny with the star on grill and rear door…
Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just buy a Wrangler? With the added benefit of not looking like a poser.
So people actually want other people to think they paid stupid money for a ugly, outdated box on wheels? Exactly who is going to be impressed or fooled by this?
I think the Suzuki Jimny would be a great car to have–without all the fake G-Wagon add-ons. It’s a shame we can’t get one in the U.S. It’s a very capable reliable vehicle.
In my city (Munich) the new G-Klasse is very common, particularly in G63 AMG trim. It is a beautiful SUV and I would like to have one.
In my city (Basel) there are not many G-Klasse, I have seen more around Zurich, still, BMW is more popular around here.
Whoever came up with this idea has far too much time on their hands because this is like a lifelike replica of a Power Wheels toy