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| Photo Credit: Mercedes-Benz Group AG |
A Brief History of the Mercedes-Benz G Class
The G Class was originally designed in the 1970s by Mercedes-Benz for the Shah of Iran and was inspired by the original Jeep and Land Rover Defender. The majority of G Class have been produced by Magna Steyr in Austria but some different variants have been produced in Algeria and Greece. In 1979 the G Class was offered for sale to the public and has been in production and for sale ever since. The original G Class had different four and five cylinder engine options, no leather interior and was very different from the powerful, luxury off-roader that is so popular today. The largest market for the G Class of today is the United States with more than 250,000 being sold in the U.S officially since 2002. The G Class was officially offered for sale in the United States in 2002 but prior to Mercedes Benz selling the G Class in the U.S., they were imported into the states by a company called Europa G Wagen (previously located in Santa Fe New Mexico) now located in Loveland Colorado.
Throughout the years some truly remarkable G Class variants have been produced. Some of the most notable included the (’05-’11) G55 AMG equipped with the 5.4 liter supercharged V8 which produced 469-507 horsepower and 516 ft-lb of torque; (’12-’18) G63 AMG equipped with the 5.5 liter V8 twin turbo which produced 544-563 horsepower and 560-561 ft-lb of torque; (’12-’18) G65 AMG equipped with the 6.0 liter V12 twin turbo which produced 603-621 horsepower and 737-738 ft-lb of torque; (’17-’18) G500/G550 4x4 Squared (depending on the market) equipped with the 4.0 liter V8 twin turbo which produced 416 horsepower and 450 ft-lb of torque; (’22-’24) G63 AMG 4x4 Squared equipped with the 4.0 liter V8 twin turbo which produced 577 horsepower and 627 ft-lb of torque; (’13-’15) G63 AMG 6x6 equipped with the 5.5 liter V8 twin turbo which produced 536 horsepower and 560-561 ft-lb of torque; and finally, the (’17-’18) Maybach G650 Landaulet equipped with the 6.0 liter V12 twin turbo which produced 630 horsepower and 738 ft-lb of torque.
The G Class I drove was a 2017 G65 AMG equipped with the six liter V12 twin turbo. The G65 was finished in a black exterior and had a black AMG leather interior with white diamond stitching on the seats and doors.
Initial Impressions
To most, the G65 might look like any other AMG G Class but the G65 has some identifiable features including a chrome grille, extra chrome on the front bumper, 21 inch wheels and the G65 badge on the rear. The most obvious exterior detail of a G65 that makes it identifiable from other G Class is the “V12 Biturbo” badge on the front fenders. Other than that, the G65 looks just like a G63, so it is a car that will be appreciated by those that know.
I walked around the G class and I noticed how well put together it was. I opened the doors and tailgate which all opened with a nice click and needed to be shut with a slam which reminded me of a classic VW Beetle or 80’s 911. I popped the hood open and was met by a massive 6.0 liter, hand built, V12 twin turbo which barely fit.
As I opened the driver’s door I was greeted by a beautiful and very well put together, supple, leather interior with diamond stitching on the seats and doors. This particular G65 also had the option of the Alcantara headliner. The AMG illuminated door sills, stainless steel pedals, AMG logos on the front seat headrests and shifter were also a nice touch. As I climbed behind the driver’s seat, a thick AMG exclusive steering wheel with paddle shifters was in front of me, beyond that was a gauge cluster with a speedometer that went up to 180 mph (the G65’s top speed is 143 mph), a rev counter with a redline of six thousand RPM and in-between those gauges sat a screen reading “AMG V12 Biturbo”.
One thing that became immediately apparent was how high up the seats were positioned and the lack of legroom. Anyone over six feet tall would likely find the G class very tight in legroom but abundant in headroom. It was even tighter in the back seats. If the front seats were moved back all of the way there was little to no legroom for the rear passengers. The one characteristic that stood out the most was just how well built the G class was, everything had weight to it and was made of the best materials, inside and out.
Driving Impressions
This was my first time driving a G class so I was not sure what to expect. As I turned the key over, the sharp, exotic sound of the V12 came to life. One of the many great characteristics of the G class was the side exit exhaust, which was even better when it had a V12 because that meant you could hear it clearly. As I put the G in drive and started to drive away, the locks made a very loud, mechanical locking sound keeping in theme with the build quality of the rest of the G class.
While pulling onto the main road, I realized that the G class was much narrower than it might seem. In reality it was about the same width as a Mercedes C class from the same year. The steering was tight and had a great feel to it. After driving around town for a while the G class showed some of its strong “on the road” qualities. It was easy to maneuver and park and the ride was comfortable, but a bit on the stiff side which was a good thing and expected of a German vehicle. For an SUV with 621 horsepower, it hid it very well when driving normally.
Once I got to an open road and rolled down the window so I could hear the glorious V12 twin turbo, I put the transmission in manual mode which activated the paddle shifters, downshifted, gave it some gas, and the frontend lifted up! I got pushed back into my seat and the G65 rocketed off. The power was UNBELIEVABLE! As I banged through the gears, the V12 twin turbo made a wonderful noise and it felt like I must be going double the 60 mile an hour speed limit but in reality I was only going ten over. I put the G class back into automatic mode and it went back to being very civilized.
I got to the front of the line at a stoplight on a four lane road and got another opportunity to open the G65 up. I put the G into sport mode this time and when the light turned green I took off. The G spun all four tires and struggled for traction, but after letting off the throttle and getting some speed, it took off and once again it felt like I must be absolutely flying. After 80 miles an hour, the G felt top heavy, but with the transmission in sport or manual mode, there was plenty of fun to be had up to that speed! I just had to be careful not to drive around corners too fast or make sharp turns or u turns.
As I arrived back to drop the G class off, I had to give into the temptation to give it a few revs. All of the torque rocked the G65 and with the window down I could feel all of the heat coming off of that massive motor. The gas tank was full when I started out and in an hour it was slightly above half, but no one buys a G class for its gas mileage. You buy a G class for its iconic shape, build quality, character and, depending on your needs, its daily drivability and/or off-roading capabilities.
Verdict
For the hour I got to drive the G65 I felt like a rockstar. It was unlike anything I had ever driven. The only thing I could knock the G class for is its legroom. Other than that the G65 felt extra special, especially since it’s fully loaded and equipped with the massive, V12 twin turbo, with tons of torque, unique sound and rarity.
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