Whats the story with Mercedes G Wagon?

waxon-waxoff

Theres not too many of these around but any for sale are big money. It may be a bit of a classic but still seem over priced. A Land Rover Defender of the same age is half the price. They seem to be in a class of their own, rivaling a Defender and Range Rover at the same time. They still make them but a modern one is ultra rare. Anybody drive one, whats it like?

peasant

They were initially developed for the German military to military specifications but for some bureacratic reasons the German army ended up with the VW Iltis instead of the Merc and MB decided to release a very basic version to the civilian market for forestry workers, hunters and the like.
Now hunting in Germany is pretty expensive and elitist and while the hunters were delighted to finally be able to go thrashing through the forest in a MERCEDES (instead of some foreign product) they weren't delighted with the ponderous performance of the first asthmatic diesel engines (2.4 N/A). That's how the more powerful petrol engines got introduced, the G-Wagen became the teutonic answer to the Range Rover in certain circles and moved ever more upmarket until finally AMG got their hands on it. Being designed to military spec it never was cheap to start with, becoming more and more upmarket it just got ridiculously expensive. But seemingly for its market niche being ridiculously expensive was a sales point in itself.

Meanwhile, through the backdoor the German army finally got their G-Wagen "Wolf" as well. The Austrian off road specialists Steyr-Puch had helped with the development of the G-Wagen and the "Puch" branded military vehicle actually went straight to the Austrian army. There it was so successful that the French built a Peugeot version of it and eventually the German Iltis just looked a bit ridiculous on combined maneuvers and by NATO decree the Germans finally got what they should have had in the first place.

I've only ever driven an ancient 240GD in very basic spec (but with three difflocks) ...nothing to write home about on the road ...but boy does it go offroad !

Seperate

I've a black modern-ish (03 i think) one in soon. I had a poke around it when giving a quote - I'd never seen one before or even knew they existed. It reminded me of a beef'd up defender! I think i'm collecting it, but won't be doing much (any) off roading to report on.

Should look good all shine'd up.

Voodoomelon

Theres a 09 one going around my area, it must be the biggest civilian vehicle i've seen. Always driven by a woman with no-one else in it.

Bearcat

needamerc do G's...not a plug, he just has loads of them

Eric Cartman

take a landrover defender, strip the interior entirely , now put the interior out of a range rover in there, add a few more electronic toys, use better plastics and actual wood ......and you have a g-wagon ,

they are beasts of a sexual nature

Saab Ed

peasant wrote: »

The Austrian off road specialists Steyr-Puch had helped with the development of the G-Wagen and the "Puch" branded military vehicle actually went straight to the Austrian army. !

Slightly off topic but on my recent rip to Austria I actually came across the G-Wagen factory in Graz. ( My sister in law lives just up the road from it ) They make cabrios for Pug there too. Got a few bad pics but I'll put them up if anybody wants to see them!

Anan1

Saab Ed wrote: »

Got a few bad pics but I'll put them up if anybody wants to see them!

Me!

dr.fuzzenstein

Eric Cartman wrote: »

take a landrover defender, strip the interior entirely , now put the interior out of a range rover in there, add a few more electronic toys, use better plastics and actual wood ......and you have a g-wagon ,

they are beasts of a sexual nature

Maybe, but you'd also have to replace sub-standard mechanicals, electrics, chassis, panels and engine!

cadaliac

^+1 to see the pics

ikillcopiers

Saab Ed wrote: »

Slightly off topic but on my recent rip to Austria I actually came across the G-Wagen factory in Graz. ( My sister in law lives just up the road from it ) They make cabrios for Pug there too. Got a few bad pics but I'll put them up if anybody wants to see them!

+1 on the pics.

G-Wagens are all kinds of off-road awesomeness, and hark back to the days
that Mercedes actually let their engineers design the cars as opposed to beancounters!

Got a good look at an early eighties one someone I knew had (he has a SWB UniMog instead now!).

Three mechanical diffs, PTO, two speed reverse, solid axles front & rear,
they are an offroad monster, more than capable of mixing it with a Landie.

Eric Cartman

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Maybe, but you'd also have to replace sub-standard mechanicals, electrics, chassis, panels and engine!

if you could afford to buy and run one less than 5 years old, i doubt its your only car or much concern to you, thats what mercedes bank on

Anan1

This one has been on sale for over a year - it's an original Irish factory armoured car, but at a price...

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201025198545017

ikillcopiers

Anan1 wrote: »

This one has been on sale for over a year - it's an original Irish factory armoured car, but at a price...

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201025198545017

Problem is with that tonne worth of extra weight for the bullet proofing
it's probably no better off-road anymore than a fiesta.

Then private tax on a 3.0, and the fuel bills !

101sean

The Australian army has just placed a huge contract to replace all their Perentie Land Rovers with G-wagons (inc a 6x6) . The French army use a Peugeot badged and engined version, it's probably in as many armies as the Land Rover

They are rare enough even in the UK and as pointed out are double the value of a Defender

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_G-Class

waxon-waxoff

Great info above.

Needamerc is a serious operator, nice pics there. Diesels make a big premium. He has an 87 lwb 280 GE for 5k but theres a 87 lwb 300GD on carzone looking for 10k more! Thats optimistic. I think they look class in lwb and a dark colour. I recognise the latter as its usually parked on Dublins Leeson St alongside a red swb. Id consider buying one but id want to convert it to commercial for the low tax and id feel guilty ripping out the seats and windows.

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Mercedes-Benz/G-Class/G-Wagen/201027198677318/advert?channel=CARS

Anan1

Much and all as I like them, I think driving one for any length of time on-road would do my head in. If I ever end up owning a large country estate it'll be on my shopping list, though.

Saab Ed

As promised earlier. Sorry I didnt get more but I just stumbled upon the factory and pulled in in a very bad spot. Wife wasnt too happy so its all I got , enjoy

Voodoomelon

Ashamed to say I don't recognise those coupes, are they 308 rc-z's?

bladebrew

they look like rcz`s alright,
i didnt realise the boot was so long on them though,

edit: they are nice looking cars!! its like a tt crossed with a lexus sc430

Fishtits

Anan1 wrote: »

This one has been on sale for over a year - it's an original Irish factory armoured car, but at a price...

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201025198545017

Sorry to drag the thread back a bit.

In a previous life fishtits was intimately involved in armoured civvy vehicles, from an engineering background to a security adviser/procurement type person in several hotspots.

The MB Guard G-Wagon, (as they called it) was both horrendously expensive and faired piss poor when compared with other quality alternatives.

The B6 rating is roughly a NATO assault rifle round (non armour piercing), weapon defeat standard. An outside toilet could in theory comply, it has no specs for vehicle performance etc.

Long story short, our analysis was that unless you were more conscious of status than protection and had a bottomless pit you wouldn't touch one of these with a barge pole... as they say.

In short, its overweight, underpowered, handles like a pig and is overpriced.

Just my personal opinion.

Cheers,

Mc Love

Seperate wrote: »

I've a black modern-ish (03 i think) one in soon. I had a poke around it when giving a quote - I'd never seen one before or even knew they existed. It reminded me of a beef'd up defender! I think i'm collecting it, but won't be doing much (any) off roading to report on.

Should look good all shine'd up.

Any chance of some pics?

unkel

ikillcopiers wrote: »

G-Wagens are all kinds of off-road awesomeness, and hark back to the days
that Mercedes actually let their engineers design the cars as opposed to beancounters!

Got a good look at an early eighties one someone I knew had (he has a SWB UniMog instead now!).

Three mechanical diffs, PTO, two speed reverse, solid axles front & rear,
they are an offroad monster, more than capable of mixing it with a Landie.

I've a bit of indirect experience comparing the Landie and the G

In my time in the army (early 90s) the Land Rovers were being replaced with G wagens (290d mainly or exclusively, I can't remember)

The G was obviously technically way advanced and much more comfortable, but the Land Rovers had the edge in pure off road capability. The Land Rovers reliability was awful - they broke down nearly on a daily basis, only to be fixed up within minutes by a slave labourer (fully qualified mechanic conscript private earning less than the minimum wage)

Mc Love

Love this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmA_UcDIeqA

Or how about this one specially made:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=663TaJ2AQSY

BigEejit

first video = :eek:

second 'video' =

That second one looked like a drug lords blinged up motor about to be grabbed by the CAB. Note to the modder of that particular monstrosity, 12 lights on the front of a car is not a good look.

Mc Love

It was made specially for his royal highness prince of abu dhabi

(obviously more money than sense)