Latest news with #GClass
Top Gear
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Expedition Motor Company 250GD Wolf (US) review: the OG Wolf rides again Reviews 2025
It's true, the long-lived Geländewagen has strayed into ludicrous ubiquity, passing the point when it was unique and different to becoming a standard-issue status accessory. While the former military vehicle retains some of its original character – either through design or attitude – we need only to look at variants like the AMG G 63 6x6 to see how far it's strayed from its roots. That's an extreme example, sure, but even the current run of 'normal' G-Classes and the EV version are wild departures from the original. Advertisement - Page continues below This one aims to be a solution for those seeking to get back to the raw appeal of the classic G-Wagen, one that's more Hinterland than Hollywood. It's the EMC Wolf, a restored Mercedes-Benz 250GD from Expedition Motor Company. Wow, so EMC does G-Wagen restos? EMC restores *one* specific G-Class. The 250GD 'Wolf' is the convertible version of the military vehicle built with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder diesel engine and a fold down windshield. Company founder Alex Levin grew up in these and loved them so much, he started EMC to build top-notch 250GD restorations for folks with similar passions. Alright, we're intrigued. What's the story? We'll always find rugged, practical equipment tough enough for the military to be intriguing, with the Jeep Wrangler being the most famous example. Sorry, Defender fans. For the G, it's the same thing but with that particular German sensibility. The classic Wolf has this in spades – ammo box, a gun mount, a built-in map light and the aforementioned fold-down windshield for easier, er, aiming. Powering it all is the OM602, a 2.5-liter straight-five diesel engine that puts out around 100hp and maybe 114lb ft of torque. Power output varies by vehicle so if you want specifics, feel free to travel back in time and dyno several military diesel trucks yourself. Advertisement - Page continues below That's pretty much the case with the builds out of EMC. The company sources disused Wolfs (Wolves?) from around the world, takes them to a facility and begins the restoration process with a full breakdown. You'll never find its facility on a map, by the way, it's the convenient side effect of having a lot full of camouflaged vehicles. Apart from certain custom requests, Alex and crew tend to stick to the original builds as possible, and even those are quite limited. Everything from the donor car is broken down, rehabilitated, and put back together while paired with a few modern components like a working HVAC and some sound absorbing materials. The ammo box even sticks around, though it's home to the new sound system's subwoofer instead. Customers can either choose from an existing Wolf in the EMC inventory or build their own with the help of the website's 'Wolf Builder' that displays the available interior and exterior color options, add-ons and powertrain configurations. You can go full 'mil-sim' and spec a murdered-out Wolf for nighttime ops, or have some joy in your life with a colorful, beach-ready G-Wagen complete with extra jump seats. All Wolfs roll away with creature comforts like that HVAC system, heated seats, a six-speaker Harman sound system and wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity. How does it drive? It doesn't take long at all for the EMC Wolf to work its charms on you. We first drove one of two builds, a Sahara-colored Wolf with the naturally aspirated diesel paired with a five-speed 'ironbox' manual. The fully-synchronized gearbox is easy and familiar for any modern manual driver, though the lack of a tachometer did take us by surprise. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Might as well take the speedo off, too. The maybe-100hp engine isn't built for modern highway pace and indeed takes its sweet time getting up to neighborhood limits, too. This isn't meant as a knock, it's very much part of the Wolf's character, but it's easy to see how someone used to modern G-Wagens would be put off. The EMC Wolf isn't difficult to drive, it's fundamentally basic, and therein lies the joy. Skip 14 photos in the image carousel and continue reading With the ration of power on hand, you're hyper focused on the act of driving the G-Wagen – carrying momentum through an incline, scrutinizing bends in the road and thinking about what to do four steps ahead from now. You're not even looking at gauges for much info, you're listening and feeling for the car's behavior and thus more connected to the act of driving. You quickly realize how much we take the effortlessness afforded by modern-day cars for granted. You said that was one of two builds… Yes, due to some arm-twisting, Expedition Motor Company does offer a couple of different engines for their Wolf builds, including a six-cylinder turbodiesel. This power unit is era-accurate and stems from the same family of diesels as the original. A conservative estimate puts the power output at around 225hp, but it's likely more. The Wolf with this engine was married to a five-speed automatic transmission this time around, and while it shared the charm of its more authentic sibling, the character was quite different. In short, it's the build for folks interested in the 250GD but aren't 'hardcore' about the lifestyle. We also fibbed a bit. We drove the two builds that were on hand. There is a third engine option, a 430hp LS3 V8, which sounds like… a lot. To date, EMC has only built six. Even so, to my original point, super-powered G-Wagen builds are a dime a dozen, and as fun as they can be, it changes the experience of what something like the 250GD offers. Silly question: can it off road? It's certainly built for it, of course. How much you'd want to is another question. The Wolf has two- and four-wheel drive capability, locking diffs for both axles and multiple ranges for the transfer case since powering out of trouble isn't going to happen. It also rides on a rugged off-road ready suspension, with the option to upgrade to one with adjustable dampers if you're looking to get serious about it. Would you, though? We ask because if you want to pretend you're traversing the Ardennes, there are cheaper ways to do it. A naked build on the Expedition Motor Company's configurator starts at $180,000. Accessories like a brush bar and a winch up the price, as does the inclusion of the automatic and, of course, the optional engine upgrades. We suppose if you're the one paying for all of this custom craftsmanship, it's up to you to decide. We'd be happy to let this retired service vehicle enjoy the peace of civilian life. What's the final takeaway? The Expedition Motor Company's 250GD Wolf restorations are wonderfully analog vehicles that honor the character of the original, with just enough upgrades to bring them in line with modern sensibilities. Along with giving junked military vehicles a second life, they are fun, back-to-basics rides that allow us to be romantic about our automotive past while being authentic to the experience. LS3 swap notwithstanding. READ MORE Please buy this incredibly cool restored Merc G-Wagen As with most cars in this category, the craftsmanship comes with a cost, but even after a short time with the 'Wolf pack', it's hard to say it isn't worth it.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
G-Wagon goes electric and it's fiercer than ever
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is one of the most iconic cars on the planet. So iconic that most Aussies simply call it the 'G-Wagon'. The 'G' stands for Gelandewagen, which translates from German to 'cross-country vehicle'. It was developed in the 1970s for its military use, but has driven from the battlefield to the boulevard, becoming a must-have for hip hop royalty, Hollywood elites, Toorak mums and Bondi entrepreneurs. It's big, boxy, and cherishes its legacy. A fashion statement, more than a four-wheel drive. Now, in true sustainable style, you can opt for electric power in – the Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ technology. There are plenty of misconceptions around electric vehicles. The generalisations include that they're dull and have no grunt. But the G 580 proves those assumptions wrong in the most stylish way. I've seen what this EV can do and let me tell you, this is not your average EV. I've watched it scale boulders, pirouette in the dirt, and plough through rivers. Fun fact: It actually has more off-roading capability than the V8-powered G 63 AMG model. Built on a traditional ladder-frame chassis with independent front suspension and a solid rear axle, the G 580 offers 432kW and 1164Nm or torque from four electric motors, one at each wheel. An 'off-road cockpit' displays all the relevant functions, including tyre pressure, inclination, compass and torque to wheel. The G 580 features new technology such as G-Steering, which helps reduce the turning circle by overdriving one side of the car, and G-Turn which lets you spin 360 degrees on the spot. One of the standout features is its 'transparent bonnet' – a clever camera system that uses views from the front and side mirror to give drivers a virtual image of what's beneath the front of the car. Displayed on the central screen, it's a unique piece of technology that helps in navigating steep trails, rocky terrain or hidden obstacles, which you wouldn't normally see from behind the wheel. It can wade through 850mm of water, 150mm more than the G 63. Underneath the battery is protected by a 26mm-thick casing made from 'top secret' materials, including carbon fibre. Strangely for an off-roader, the G 580 doesn't come with a spare tyre. That classic box on the back door? It's a fake, there to store charging cables, not a spare wheel. But you can swap it out for a spare wheel at no extra cost. Unfortunately, there's no space under the frunk but sufficient space in the boot (620L). But let's be honest, how many G Wagon owners are taking this off-road? At $249,900 for the base or $299,900 for the Edition One, it's more likely to be used for school drops, brunch runs or parked in high-end driveways. Still, if you ever did need to cross the Simpson Desert or scale a rock wall, you know you could. It's also not slow for a large SUV, with a 0-100km/h of just 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 180km/h. Driving this EV was such an experience and as someone who loves SUVs, the G 580 certainly shines just as bright as the combustion variant. Underneath the iconic silhouette is a 116kW battery good for 567km of range (NEDC) plus 200kW DC fast charging that gets you from 10-80 per cent in just 32 minutes. Inside, it's luxurious. Nappa leather, Burmester 3D sound, heated and cooled cup holders and the MBUX digital cockpit. The Edition One steps it up a notch with standard 20-inch black alloy wheels, tinted lights, black exterior mirrors, carbon trim and blue contrast stitching. A range of optional packages lets you customer the G 580 to suit your style. But here's the best part, the G 580 might actually appeal to those who have always dreamt of owning a G-Wagon but couldn't justify the cost. The G 580 is not only more affordable in terms of price but will also save owners in terms of fuel costs. I think this could genuinely be perfect for inner-city parents, modern moguls or the urban adventurers who want something strong but sustainable. It's still the iconic G-Wagon, just evolved.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Cars that won't die: World's 10 longest-living models revealed with one launched in 1977 still going strong
Some cars feel like they've been around forever. And the reality is, some almost have. Certain nameplates have existed for more than a lifetime - and there are plenty that have gone almost unchanged mechanically during those extended periods. The longest living motors have been revealed in a countdown by Autocar, with the one on sale longest unaltered gracing our roads for over six decades. A number have gone from humble beginnings to being the biggest sellers of all time, while others have had less success but have clung on regardless. If you add their ages up they come to a grand old 485 years, which shows sticking power is half the battle. We run down the 10 with the longest on-sale sessions... 10. Mercedes G-Class - 38 years (1979-2017) Kicking off with one of the most iconic car names out there, the G-Class - a motor produced for warfare but today circulates Mayfair. The G-Wagon has become synonymous with luxury but was originally developed to be an agile all-terrain vehicle for both military and civilian use. Mercedes and Steyr-Daimler-Puch created a joint company called Galandefahrzeug-Gesselschaft to make this capable car, and in 1979 the first G-Class was ready. It remained almost unchanged for 38 years until it received a full makeover in 2017, with the all-new model debuting in 2018 with brand-new underpinnings. 9. Peugeot 504 - 38 years (1968-2006) This is the car that could be credited with saving Peugeot in the 20th century. Although French, the 504 was advertised under the motto 'Italian style, French soul' because it was designed in collaboration with Pininfarina. An extended version of the popular family 404 car, the 504 debuted in September 1968 as an unconventional and robust modern car for the upper middle classes at a moment when passenger car sales were not looking rosy. It was awarded Car of the Year and became a outright win for Peugeot and car production during a time of social unrest. In the end over 3.7million models were built until the last car rolled off the production line in Nigeria in December 2005. 8. Hillman Hunter - 39 years (1966-2005) The Hillman Hunter started out life in 1966. Produced by the Rootes group, it replaced the Minx and Super Minx, and ended up looking rather like a Ford Cortina Mk2, even though it hit the market first. Only those of a certain vintage will remember this car, which became one of Britain's best-selling vehicles during its 13 years of production. The Hunter turned into the Paykan after Iran's national car company bought the rights to produce it from knock-down Rootes kits - and it soon became Iran's national car. The remainder of Rootes is now owned by Peugeot, with assembly started in 1985, and was replaced by the Samand based on the Peugeot 405. 7. Mini - 41 years (1959-2000) It's the most iconic British car ever made and had some of the most famous owners (from Twiggy to The Beatles) of all time. A tiny car that fits four people, the Mini was designed by Alec Issigonis to fill the gap in the market for small, fuel efficient cars during the Suez Crisis. From racing cars to the big screen, the Mini has done it all while capturing hearts and minds for over 40 years. The classic Mini stopped production in October 2000, with a red Mini Cooper Sport rolling off the production line at Longbridge, Birmingham. In the end 5.3 million Minis were made. 6. Citroën 2CV - 42 years (1948-1990) The 2CV - or Deux Chevaux - is about as French as a baguette. Legendarily designed pre-war to enable a farmer and family to cross a freshly ploughed field with a basket full of eggs without breaking them, prototypes of the original 2CV were hidden away during the Second World War. It wasn't until almost 10 years after the design was first penned that it went on sale. Between 1948 and 1990 nine million were sold when derivatives are factored in, with 5.1 million of the original 2CV being produced. 5. Lada Niva - 45 years and still going (1977-present) Lada developed the Niva in 1977 and it is still going strong to this day. Developed as a no-nonsense, capable and rugged off-roader that could tackle Serbian terrain, it shared parts with the Fiat-derived 2101. It became an instant hit because it was so light and affordable - think of it as the Dacia Duster of its heyday. Originally a rural car, it's since been marketed to urban drivers with three and five-door 4x4 hatchbacks also sold. It's been in continuous production since 1977 and has had only had one minor facelift in 2020. However there's a new model set to arrive in 2025, which will end its 45-year uninterrupted run. 4. Hindustan Ambassador - 49 years (1958-2007) India's 'king of the roads' was introduced in 1958. The compact car was immensely popular in the country and was considered a status symbol among the elite. Based on the Morris Oxford series III, the sedan had boxy shape that won over fans and a 1.5-litre engine with 35hp - impressive for the 1950s. It was the car of businessmen, politicians, movie stars and the elite, and was remarkably plush inside. However its popularity declined in the 1990s as international car manufacturers entered the Indian market. However, Peugeot paid £10million in 2017 to try and coax the Ambassador back to the Indian market. 3. Morgan 4/4 - 64 years (1955-2019) Morgan is a British success story of heritage coachbuilding, and the 4/4 is its most enduring product. While the Series 1 4/4 - Morgan's first car with four wheels - was first made in 1936, this Series 2 model with its uninterrupted production run arrived in 1955. The Series 2 4/4 roadster overcame technological advances and changes in tastes and fashion to remain in production with only minor changes up until 2019. The entry model in the Morgan range with0 the 1,172cc Ford 100E engine produced 36bhp and recorded a top speed of 75.3mph in 1965. Still using the same ash wood framework, Morgan continued to bring 1910 traditions to the 4/4 even into the 21st century, and apart from a brief stint with a Fiat-sourced engine in the 1980s, the 4/4 only had very minor tweaks in its 64-year run. 2. Volkswagen Type 2 - 64 years (1949-2013) Dubbed the most important van in history, the Type 2 came from humble origins compared to the iconic success it went on to have. The Type 2 was produced to help Germany rebuild after WW2, with its mass market creation credited to Ben Pon, a Dutch VW importer, who saw the opportunity for a small bus to hit the big time. So what started as a 'Plattenwagen' in the Wolfsburg factory, went on to be dubbed the Kombi, Transporter, Bus, Camper and Kleinbus - and became the most famous camper van of all time as a symbol for the hippie movement of the '60s. Production continued in Latin America until the early 2010s when VW built its 600 'Last Edition' models exclusively for the Brazilian market. Worldwide, VW has produced over 10 million Type 2 buses since its inception. 1. Volkswagen Beetle - 65 years (1938-2003) The Volkswagen Beetle is officially the longest running production car in history. It's probably the most famous too, known for being the car that put the world on wheels. Originally intended to mobilise Nazi Germany, it wasn't mass produced until after the end of the Second World War. Initially just called the Volkswagen - the 'people's car' - the Beetle as it became also went under the nicknames Käfer, Vocho, Coccinelle, Fusca, or Maggiolino. Although no British or American manufacturer wanted it, with one British official even calling it an 'uneconomic enterprise', once production started in 1945 it was a runaway success with 21.5million first-generation cars sold. It became the most popular car manufactured off a single platform of all time. Production eventually ended in Mexico, where it had survived up until 2003. Unsurprisingly, it was new emissions rules that eventually killed off last ones, with a final run of Última Edición limited edition models. The Bug pioneered cheap personal transport, and flipped the dark Nazi 'KdF-Wagen' (Strength through Joy car) into a light and happy 1960s flower power symbol. T
Auto Car
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
This special G-Class is less Chelsea, more tractor - and I love it
Some modifiers and restomodders of original Land Rover Defenders make similar mistakes, fitting weird LED headlight units, modern paint finishes and wheels that look far, far too big. The 'Stronger than the 1980s' G-Class is our old gent slipping back into his brogues and tweed. He looks right again. I feel like we've talked around this retro subject before. Many car designers don't like retro designs, because they're in the business of making new things, not rehashing old ones. But the G-Class isn't a new car and some of the aesthetic options you can put on one feel like that white rendering and grey window framing people seem intent on putting on previously characterful houses. Fashion aside, I think this new G-Class just looks more authentic, more fit for purpose. If one is going to have a big 4x4, why fit wheels and tyres that don't suit off-roading and paint it such that you wouldn't dare take it near a thorn bush? In the past year, I've spent time in a new Land Rover Defender 130 on big, shiny black alloys and with satin black paint and in an Ineos Grenadier with neither of those things. The Defender is the better car to drive: it's calmer, more relaxing, more comfortable, quieter, brilliantly capable off road and tows for Britain. But I felt sufficiently less conspicuous in the Grenadier that, spec for spec, it's the one I'd have. Maybe I've never reached a stage in life where I don't care what other people think. But cars, particularly those bought for a want and not a need, do say something about their owners, don't they? This G-Class looks like it has been specced and built and is owned for the reasons it was first intended. And I'd rather drive that, even if it's a slightly 'worse' car than a regular one, which it might be. Those tyres will probably give it less directional stability and certainly squidgier steering, and as they're probably heavier might not even improve the ride. Does that make me shallow? Oh well.
Edmunds
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Edmunds
Will There Be Another Mercedes-Maybach G-Class? Don't Count On It
Maybach makes ultra-high-end versions of Mercedes-Benz's pinnacle models. Right now, you can get Maybach versions of the electric EQS SUV, GLS SUV, S-Class sedan and SL-Class roadster. But there's another super shiny star in Mercedes' fleet of icons: the G-Class SUV. Is it destined to get the Maybach updo? According to the brand's chief executive, no. Speaking to members of the media during an event in Spain this week, Daniel Lescow, head of Mercedes-Maybach at Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said a G-Class variant is "not planned" at this time. "We have no plans to go further than those four cars at the moment."
