Meet the Silver Star’s 45th birthday present to the erstwhile Mercedes-Benz G400d. It’s called the Mount Schöckl Edition, it wears colour-shifting green paint, and one lucky owner will part with R3 366 210 for the pleasure of owning one. But allow me to explain why there is significant value in this ownership experience. 45-years ago, the Shah of Iran – an important Mercedes-Benz stakeholder of the era – urged the company to develop a weapons-grade, desert-bashing military vehicle. It found the money, and not long after the engineering and testing process, the first civilian versions went on sale (after the Shah took delivery of his, of course).
45 YEARS OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ G400D
Like the Ford Mustang or Fiat 500, the Mercedes-Benz G400d is one of those rare timeless automotive icons. As a result, it is built completely differently to any other Mercedes passenger car. It hails from a facility called Magna Steyr in Austria. Even though it’s been updated with all the latest technologies imaginable, it’s still hand-assembled by a small team of people.
Specifically, there are 6 500 manual welds needed to make its ladder-frame chassis. All the leather and upholstery work are done on-site and by hand. The boutique factory only builds roughly 60 cars each day. And the current production run is spoken for until the new G-wagen (with an electric motor) arrives next year. As you can probably tell, the recipe for the Mercedes-Benz G400d is proudly and deliberately unchanged. Because you dare not mess with an icon, says Mercedes-Benz.
BEAUTY INSIDE THE BEAST
On the inside of the Mercedes-Benz G400d, everything is all-new and it’s like climbing into the most modern of Mercs. You’ll find modernity with dual widescreen digital displays from the S-Class limo. There’s infinite mood lighting and beautifully crafted turbine-style air vents to hold the eye. Its seat massage and heating/cooling function is arguably the best of its kind in the world. And the dash-mounted grab handle for the front passenger is a doff of the cap to the original.
The real genius are the latest driver aids retrofitted to keep it relevant in this decade. We’re talking conveniences like auto LED lights, adaptive cruise control and active lane-keeping assist. However, beneath the tinsel, the body-on-frame construction still dishes up mechanical steering, solid axles with torsion bar stabilisers front and rear.
GOES ANYWHERE
On any wheel-travel-testing route, you soon realise this car’s off-road capability is virtually limitless. 30-degree-plus approach, departure and break-over angles, 215 mm ground clearance, 600 mm fording depth, low range and three locking differentials cannot be trifled with. In the past, we’ve visited the manufacturing plant where it is built.
Plus, we’ve driven up the world-famous Mount Schöckl, where it’s engineered and developed. This limited edition 4×4, and all the G-wagens before it, have been traversing up and down its rugged trails for more than 45 years. Powered by the latest Euro-6 compliant in-line six-cylinder diesel, it produces 243 kW and 700 Nm of torque. It’s zero to 100 km/h sprint in 6.5 seconds is quick enough but it’s the rolling tractability from the six-cylinder diesel that’s impressive. Not to mention that indomitable sense you can conquer any terrain the universe throws your way. Sure, you can opt for a Kim Kardashian-spec V8 petrol G63 AMG. But be ready to add another million rand to the bottom line.
LEGACY OF TOUGHNESS
What you can’t experience by simply reciting its specs is just how tough and unbreakable the Mercedes-Benz G400d is. Believe you me, at Mount Schöckl, we experienced quite the display by a crazy G-wagen pro driver called Dietmar. He took us for a ride down the mountain trail like a man possessed. We went airborne over jumps and obstacles. There was zero slow-as-possible, fast-as-necessary to his driving technique. The closest thing to the G400d’s weapons-grade indestructibility is a custom-built Dakar race car.
Speaking of the Dakar Rally, back in 1983, the G-wagen won it with the great Jacky Ickx at the wheel. Contrast that to the ‘Popemobile’ version which Mercedes-Benz also made and personally gifted to the Pontiff. Talk about a car with a range of talents. And then you remember that this icon is the darling of Hollywood and heads of state, too. That’s mostly because its tough-as-nails chassis can easily handle the weight of heavily upgraded bulletproof body armour.
THE VERDICT
What we love most is the old-world romance to the design. Its boxy stance provides comfortable sight-lines for off-roading and parking. The clickity-clack of the doors, even the wide aperture of its rear door with spare wheel is quite practical. What a magnificent mix of contradictions, that this wondrous, exclusive, hand-built car is also the ultimate status symbol. And let’s not forget that almost every G-Class ever produced over the last 45 years is still running. Yet another reason for its folkloric reputation.
THE FIGURES
- Mercedes-Benz G400d Mount Schöckl Edition
- Price: R3 366 210
- Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbodiesel
- Transmission: 9-speed auto, four-wheel drive with low range and three locking differentials
- Power: 243 kW and 700 Nm
- Fuel Economy: 9.6 l/100 km (claimed) / 11.0 l/100 km (tested)
- Performance: 0-100 km/h in 6.5 seconds (tested) / top speed 210 km/h
IS THE G-CLASS AN ICON IN YOUR EYES?
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