I think I am ready for a test drive in this Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6×6 – crazy!! GT
The inevitable has happened.
There are only so many possible permutations of a metal box on four wheels designed to go fast over any terrain, and from the i to the Range Rover, all of them have been explored in some degree with varying levels of ability and luxury. It was only a matter of time before a group of mad engineers gathered together and said “Screw it, let’s go six-wheel-drive.”
Those engineers work for Mercedes-Benz, and this creation, the G63 AMG 6×6, isn’t a concept, but a luxury SUV that the German automaker will build for a handful of wealthy customers.
Six-wheel-drive trucks have been in military and commercial use for decades; Mercedes made a few for use before World War II, and its commercial division has supplied a 6×6 version of the old Gelandewagen to Austrian forces since 2011.
But that truck features a bare metal cabin and power from a 185-hp diesel. The AMG engineers swapped the drivetrain from the G63 AMG, featuring a 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V-8 good for 536 hp, mated to a seven-speed transmission, good enough to hustle the 8,300-lb. juggernaut to 60 mph in about six seconds. Inside, there’s room for four passengers to ride in a tableau of luxury, from the quilted white leather seats and carbon-fiber accented dash to the bamboo-lined cargo area.
As for the six wheels, they’re not just for show. AMG splits the torque 30/40/30 among the axles from front to rear for maximum traction, with locking differentials for all 37-inch wheels; the 6×6 can ford water more than three feet deep and its 52-degree approach angle means it will climb most anything short of a sheer cliff face. For desert travels, the tires can be inflated and deflated from a panel in the cabin.
According to Autoweek, Mercedes plans to build about 20 to 30 of these behemoths starting in October for a price just below the $457,000 AMG will charge for an all-electric SLS, and if you have to ask about miles per gallon, then clearly you don’t own enough oil wells to afford one.
