Automotive

Mercedes Benz 544 hp G 63 AMG 6x6 off-roader close to production

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The G 63 6x6 gets dirty
Six wheels of fury
The G 63 6x6 includes five differential locks
The G 63 6x6 uses a 544-hp V8 biturbo
The G 63 6x6 gets dirty
The tires can roll comfortably at pressures as low as 7.25 psi (0.5 bar)
While the G 63 6x6 looks quite foreign, it is based largely on existing technologies from the standard G 63, military and commercial vehicles
Two more driven wheels
Though unique in final build, the 6x6 uses mostly series-production parts
The G 63 6x6 borrows from the G 63 4x4 and military 6x6 models
Mercedes calls the G 63 6x6 a "show vehicle"... for now
Two G 63 6x6 show vehicles have been built so far
Rock, sand, road, water ...
The G 63 6x6 is close to seven feet (2.1 m) wide
The G 63 makes short work of sand, thanks to low-pressure-friendly double bead lock wheels
A pressure control system allows for on-the-fly tire adjustment from the driver's seat
The G 63 6x6 weighs 8,488 pounds (3,850 kg)
The six-wheeler is 19.2 feet (5.87 m) long
Rock, sand, road, water ...
Rock, sand, road, water ...
The G 63 6x6 show vehicle is close to production
The chassis is slightly modified
The G 63 6x6
The SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission has controlled efficiency, sport and manual modes
Mercedes says that it will judge reaction and decide the 6x6's production fate
Rumor is that the G 63 6x6 will make limited production and become the second most expensive Mercedes
The G 63 AMG 6x6
The G 63 AMG 6x6
The G 63 AMG 6x6
The G 63 6x6 gets dirty
The G 63 6x6 gets dirty
560 lb-ft (760 Nm) of torque
Stainless steel protection helps prevent underbody damage
560 lb-ft (760 Nm) of torque
Six wheels of fury
The 6x6 variant gets a pick-up bed
Six wheels of fury
The G 63 AMG 6x6
Six wheels of fury
The G 63 AMG 6x6
The 6x6 variant gets a pick-up bed
The G 63 AMG 6x6
The G 63 AMG 6x6
The load area is adorned with bamboo
The G 63 AMG 6x6
Stainless steel protection helps prevent underbody damage
The portal axles help give the G 63 6x6 more than double the ground clearance of the production G-Class
The utility vehicle has 42 gallons (159 liters) of fuel capacity
SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission
The portal axles help give the G 63 6x6 more than double the ground clearance of the production G-Class
The tires can roll comfortably at pressures as low as 7.25 psi (0.5 bar)
The utility vehicle has 42 gallons (159 liters) of fuel capacity
The G 63 6x6 gets dirty
The springs are hard on the front and first rear axles and soft on the second rear axle
The G 63 6x6 was developed at the G-Class development department in Graz, Austria
The tire compression system provides easy adjustment
The four seats are heated and ventilated
Rugged outside, luxurious inside
Rugged outside, luxurious inside
The G 63 6x6 has a one-meter (3.3-foot) fording depth
Rugged outside, luxurious inside
View gallery - 64 images

What type of vehicle do you want if you plan to tackle dirt trails, rock fields and rolling slickrock expanses? Why, a 4x4, of course! Not necessarily, says Mercedes-Benz. You may want to add a pair of wheels and capitalize on the sheer power and might of the new G 63 AMG 6x6.

The standard G-Class is already one of the meanest-looking off-road vehicles out there. Despite the big Mercedes three-point and luxurious interior painting a story of comfort and elegance, the vehicle just begs to be ridden over rock, through murky water and into thick dust clouds.

Yet, the standard G 63 AMG looks so ordinary when compared to its new brother – like Danny DeVito standing next to Arnold Schwarznegger. Not only do six wheels just make a car look as apocalypse-ready as possible, but the G 63 6x6 gets other additions, such as a pick-up bed and extra-high clearance. Whether it be the smoldering rubble of a fallen metropolis or the shifty, mucky ground left in the wake of a landslide, this six-wheeler is going to eat it up and excrete it out without making a pit stop.

Mercedes describes it succinctly: "A look at the key data of the G 63 AMG 6x6 makes it clear that this model's off-road world begins at a point where anything less than a vehicle with caterpillar tracks would have to capitulate."

That data begins with a 544-hp AMG 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine with 560 lb-ft (760 Nm) and continues through the SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission with three drive modes, transfer case with low-range ratio, and rear twin drivetrain that combine to deliver power to the half-dozen wheels. To ensure that the engine has plenty of fuel to push the massive rock crawler into remote lands and back, the 96-liter (25.4-gallon) main tank is augmented with a 63-liter (16.6-gallon) auxiliary tank – and you thought your SUV was expensive to fill up.

The G 63 makes short work of sand, thanks to low-pressure-friendly double bead lock wheels

Five differential locks are managed by an integrated logic that keeps traction no matter how uneven and slick the terrain gets. The differential locks are activated with the usual three switches. In stage 1, the two inter-axle differential locks in the transfer case and in the through-drive through the center differential are active. In stage 2, the interwheel differential locks in the two rear axle differentials are additionally activated. In stage 3, with the front axle differential locked, all five differential locks are active.

In order to get as much handling as it possibly can from the 8,488-pound (3,850-kg) beast and its 13.8-foot (4.2-meter) wheelbase, Mercedes splits the torque 30 - 40 - 30 between the front and rear two axles. The tires putting that torque to work stand 37 inches tall and benefit from a pressure control system with onboard air compressor. Pressure gauges monitor tire pressure, and the driver can adjust it on the fly from inside the cabin. So when transitioning from sand to rock, there's no need to jump out of the car to adjust pressure. Two-part beadlock wheels keep the tires rolling, even at low, sand-friendly pressures of 7.25 psi (0.5 bar).

The portal axles help give the G 63 6x6 more than double the ground clearance of the production G-Class

If you look at the G 63 6x6, you'll notice that its wheels are not centered on the axles. This is due to what Mercedes calls the "real technical highlight" of the off-roader. Using a series of portal axles, which were developed for the military and debut on a civilian vehicle for the first time, the wheels sit lower, raising the body by 250 mm (9.8 in) when compared to the series-production G-Class. This gives the model 460 mm (1.5 feet) of ground clearance and a fording depth – or "dive depth" as Mercedes playfully refers to it – of a full meter (3.3 feet), up from 600 mm (2 feet) on the G class. In other words, jutting rocks and deep pools don't require re-routing. And even if the driver does get a little overconfident, Mercedes has armed the underbody with three-part stainless steel protection.

Because the portal axles sit at the same position in regard to the chassis as on the standard G 63, the 6x6's chassis is only slightly revised. It uses independent axle suspension with hard spring rates on the front and first rear axles and a soft rate on the second rear axle. The vehicle also makes use of rally-tested, adjustable gas-pressure shock absorbers.

The load area is adorned with bamboo

Despite looking tougher than any vehicle without camouflage and anti-tank artillery, the G 63 six-wheeler comes with the usual upscale interior. It is clad in diamond-quilted designo leather with contrast topstitching. The four seats are electrically adjustable, heated and ventilated. Alcantara and leather dress various parts of the cabin and a dual-screen rear seat entertainment system keeps the passengers busy while the G 63 rolls to the trailhead. Even the load area gets some decorative love, featuring solid bamboo.

Mercedes refers to the G 63 AMG 6x6 repeatedly as a "show vehicle" but also calls it "near series" [production]. It says that response will dictate the vehicle's chances of seeing small-series production. However, an Autocar report that came out two weeks before the official press release indicated Mercedes plans to commission Magna Steyr to build a limited number of six-wheelers, with pricing falling in below the SLS AMG Electric Drive but above everything else in Mercedes' line.

It can be seen in action in the video below.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

View gallery - 64 images
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16 comments
socalboomer
I thought the civilian Hummer (H1) had that type of axle/hub assembly. . . they had the wheels lower than the axles with some kind of gear assembly to transfer the power down to the wheels.
H2, and H3 changed that and made the Hummer much less.
hiredassassin
Now THAT's what I call a truck! I'll take one in matte black thank you!
The Skud
Nice! But is it a full 4-seater cabin or only 2 and 2 kids? And is that a full 2 metre ute bed or shorter? I'd love to fit a camper body or build accommodation on the back and tour Australia (apart from the petrol mileage).
Slowburn
The three axle six wheel layout is more efficient than the two axle six wheel layout as well. I'll take mine in white.
JN59
This is not new technology. This is exactly what made the Unimog such an undefeated vehicle! This is actually by the looks of it a Super Mog
Bruce H. Anderson
This machine is an absolute DESECRATION of our beloved planet. Someone with more money than sense, and with no regard to our environment, is the only likey customer!!! OK, someone was going to say it anyway. As a niche off-road vehicle this sure pushes about all the buttons there are. I wonder, if someone is serious about taking this somewhere really off the beaten path, wouldn't a diesel make more sense? But given the level of luxury offered, most will never see that kind of hardcore use. It sure is badass, though.
Dirk Scott
Look at http://military-vehicle-photos.com.s3.amazonaws.com/2198.jpg
or just google Land Rover 6x6 to see thousands of images of 6x6 vehicles like this including campers (Skud) and all sorts of utility variations.
Griffin
Hey,Bruce-
I wouldn't worry about this vehicle "desecrating the earth"- at $457,000 each it is likely that the few of these that are built for public consumption(if any!)will be mall-crawlers.
"For sale-Never Been Off Road".
Mostly Arabs and such will be their prime customers and one oil rig or one army tank will do far more damage than all of these that will ever be built.
Really,people,off road machines do a lot less damage to the environment than any one major city- they just carry a higher profile of blame.
Few people forage new trails- being what they really are, most people's just "follow the leader" and only ride existing trails or stick to ORV areas.
Rigs like this Merc mostly end up in ski-resorts,pulling little trailers or.... AT THE MALL!.
Steve0O
Portal axles can be found in old (pre 1968) VW vans as well, so they are not being introduced to the civilian world here, by any means. I have enjoyed embarrassing the crap out of several Jeep owners with my old bus, even had one refuse to let me tow him out, he would rather freeze to death than suffer the indignation! Unimogs, Pinzgauers, and the original civilian Hummers also have had them. The portal axle Unimogs have always had the best reputation for getting through where nothing else can, except maybe a helicopter! I have fantasised about building a 6x6 Chevy with a Duramax, but this does look like quite the beastie. Bamboo is great stuff, exceptionally renewable, but the "solid bamboo" thing belongs in a George Carlin comedy routine.
Mark Hayward
Looks Expensive to me. They should enter it in the Baja 1000 and see what it can really do. I am afraid to ask the price.