Mercedes G-Class AMG

It's the oldest model in Mercedes' line-up, but G-Class is returning to British roads with a bang later this year!

And for the first time in a decade, UK customers will be able to get their hands on right-hand drive versions of the old-school luxury off roader, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2009.

Despite being the longest serving passenger model in the history of Mercedes, the brand will still be hailing it as a ‘new model’ when it arrives in October. Customers will be able to choose either the G350 CDI with 218bhp or the full blown G 55 AMG, which comes with a whopping 493bhp supercharged V8, and sprints from 0-62 in just 5.5 seconds.

There will also be a rough-and-tumble commercial only base model, dubbed the G 300 CDI Professional, propping up the bottom of the range. All of them are long wheelbase editions, so the G-Class will be equally comfortable whether wafting along like a luxury limo or up to its arches in a muddy Welsh field.

Both versions will come with tonnes of standard kit, including bi-xenon headlamps, a heavy duty Harmon Kardon Logic 7stereo, heated memory seats and a full leather interior.

Although it’s unlikely that many owners will drive it too far off the beaten track, the G-class still comes with fully locking differentials, an off road electronic stability programme and low-range ratios in the automatic box.

The cost of all this versatility and equipment is a steep one though, with prices for the G350 CDI starting from £79,975 OTR, and the range topping AMG will be from £114,975. The G wagons will be exclusively available from the Specialist Products division at Mercedes-Benz world in Woking.

Mercedes G63 AMG 6X6

Mercedes have unveiled a monstrous new rugged off-roader with six wheels - their first since a similar model was produced for the Nazis in 1930s Germany.

The outrageous Mercedes G63 AMG 6x6 is a limited edition model based on the iconic G-Wagon.

It has been designed to have the off-road capabilities of a tank, accelerate like a hot hatch and provide the luxury feel of a limousine.

To give it brutal acceleration, Mercedes has replaced the standard G Wagon's 3-litre diesel engine with a twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8.

The result is a 536bhp behemoth which is capable of 0-62mph in less than six seconds - despite measuring 19ft in length, weighing 3.85 tons.

Mercedes claims the 6x6 - which has 37 inch wheels - can negotiate rocky terrain with 'all the agility of a mountain goat', while fording a river is 'almost child's play'.

They add: 'Anyone exploring the on-road performance is certain to be impressed by the catapult-like acceleration of this 3.85-tonne pickup.'

However, the 6x6 comes with a massive £350,000 price-tag - making it the most expensive model in the Mercedes range and three-times as pricey as a typical G Wagon.

The off-roader, which is likely to be most popular in the Middle-East, will be limited to around 30 sales per year.

The new model is not the first six-wheel off-roader from the German firm, with Hitler owning eight during the Third Reich. 

The G4 was a heavy-duty off-road car Mercedes produced for the German army between 1934 and 1939. 

Mercedes built 57 G4s during this period with heads of state and top military brass regarding them as a 'prestige all-terrain vehicle'.

Rare: It is understood there are just three G4 models in existence which are absolutely authentic although other models have been rebuilt

Hitler was a huge fan and had eight of the six-wheeled cars, with a number located at his various castles around Germany. 

However, unlike the new Mercedes G63 AMG, the G4 wasn't six-wheel drive with power only sent to the rear four wheels. 

It is understood there are just three models in existence which are absolutely authentic although other models have been rebuilt. One of these models is owned by the Spanish royal family after Hitler gave it to General Franco in 1939.

Mercedes SLC

These are the pictures that prove Mercedes is working on a baby brother to the SLS AMG supercar. Thought to be called the SLC, this early protoype uses an SLS body with experimental running gear underneath. 

It’s given away by the shorter wheelbase and heavy cladding at the front and rear, which is likely to hide some of the production model's altered styling. Earlier this year Mercedes Head of Design, Gordon Wagener, told us to expect a dynamic design inspired by the SLS.

The SLC will be front-engined but the SLS's 6.2-litre V8 will most likely be replaced by an all-new turbocharged 4.0-litre V8. Mercedes may offer a V6 model, too, using the 3.5-litre unit from the SLK.

Expect to see a power output of around 500bhp in the flagship variant, which will allow the SLC to accelerate from 0-62mph in just over four seconds.  

While the SLS is going after models like the Ferrari 458 Italia and Aston Martin DBS, the SLC will be far cheaper with a price-tag closer to nearly RM500,000 (£80,000).

We should get our first glimpse of the production-ready Mercedes SLC in 2014, before the car goes on sale early in 2015.

Mercedes CSC

Could this be the most desirable compact executive car yet? This stunning, four-door, four-wheel-drive coupe will be the star of Mercedes’ stand at the Beijing Motor Show next week – and it’s set to make the likes of the BMW 3 Series look very bland indeed.

The Concept Style Coupe (CSC) is part of a growing family of models based on the new A-Class. In essence, the CSC is a shrunken version of the CLS – a car that took the E-Class as its basis and added a sleeker shape. It carved its own niche, and now Mercedes hopes the CSC will do the same thing.

If the shape looks a little familiar, that’s because there are shades of the F800 Style Concept (revealed at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show) in the sweeping roofline.

Although it’s based on the new A-Class, the CSC is longer, wider and lower than a C-Class. Designers have removed the B-pillar to give the CSC a cleaner profile, with frameless door windows just like on the CLS.

There’s exquisite attention to detail in the front grille, which is just like that of the Vision A concept – the car that previewed the A-Class last year. It’s made up of tiny, shiny 3D dots, which give a diamond effect. A vent at the rear does the same. The headlights shine red when the car is in standby mode, while the indicators light up in succession. Massive 21-inch alloys complete the concept’s visual drama.

Inside, the A-Class influence is strong. The dashboard is very similar, although the SLS AMG-style air vents feature bold neon detailing. They’re backlit and change from blue to yellow to red as the air flowing through them warms up.

There’s a panoramic glass roof that extends far enough back to shed light on the rear seat passengers, who also have access to a sculpted centre console complete with its own air vents. This shows the car’s importance to the Chinese market, where customers 

often have chauffeurs.

Highlight of the dashboard is an integrated iPad, while the CSC also showcases Mercedes’ ‘always on’ cloud technology, which provides Internet access even when the car is stationary. This allows the car’s software to be updated remotely, meaning fewer trips to the dealer.

Under the bonnet, the CSC features a 211bhp 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine with direct injection. This powers all four wheels via a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox, and should give 0-60mph in under seven seconds and a 150mph top speed.

The CSC is the third car to use Mercedes’ new platform – after the B-Class MPV and the A-Class – but it won’t be the last. An A-Class Shooting Brake estate is also planned, as is a small SUV.

Mercedes A25 AMG spied!

The Mercedes A25 AMG has been spied outside AMG HQ in Affalterbach, Germany. These images show that the AMG version of the A-Class will get new bumpers and more aggressive side skirts, with the front-end’s larger air intakes designed to cool a much larger braking set-up.

There’s also AMG alloys and a much lower ride height, while at the rear there's a set of rectangular exhausts replacing the regular A-Class’s round versions.

The A25 AMG will have four-wheel drive, with a dual-clutch gearbox transferring around 350hp from the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. That’s more power than the Audi RS3 and BMW 1 Series M Coupe, which both produced 335bhp.

The A25 should beat both in the sprint from 0-62mph, with an estimated time of 4.5 seconds, while top speed will be electronically limited to 155mph. 

In terms of handling, the A25 AMG has a wider track front and rear to boost grip, while revised suspension settings and standard-fit adaptive dampers will be used.  

The A25 AMG will go on sale in 2013.

2012 Mercedes G-Class

The Mercedes G-Class has been updated, with the flagship AMG version being given the latest engine from the performance division. 

On the outside, the rugged off-roader, which is hand-built in Graz, Austria, has new LED daytime running lights up front, plus redesigned mirrors, bumpers and grille. 

Inside, there’s a new centre console and instrument panel that now houses a TFT colour display. There’s an additional screen from the COMAND and DVD systems, which integrate the sat-nav and Internet access, both of which are standard across the range. 

There are four models in the line-up, but only two will be sold in the UK. The British range starts with the G350 BlueTec. It uses the same 3.0-litre V6 and seven-speed automatic gearbox, so power and torque unchanged at 211hp and 540Nm from 1,600rpm. Combined fuel economy remains the same too, returning 25.2mpg and 295g/km of CO2.

The flagship G55 AMG has been replaced by the G63 AMG. Under the bonnet is the 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 from the CLS 63 AMG, and it marks the first time in a while since the G-Class has used the same engine as the CLS 63 AMG. 

The new engine means power is up from 507bhp to 544bhp, and there's a mammoth 760Nm of torque on tap from 2,000rpm. Emissions have improved from 372g/km to 322g/km, while fuel consumption of 20.4mpg is up from 17.8mpg. The G63 AMG is fitted as standard with stop/start, while 20-inch alloy wheels and red brake calipers are offered as an option. 

The G-Class range offers the same maximum boot space of 2,250 litres, while hi-tech options such as DISTRONIC PLUS, Blind Spot Assist and PARKTRONIC with reversing camera are all available. The G-Class’s ESP has also been revised to include Trailer Stability Assist and a HOLD function.

New Mercedes SL

Believe it or not, the current generation Mercedes SL has been around since 2002 but revisions and facelifts have kept the grand tourer feeling fresh. As these spy shots reveal though, there’s a new one on the way and it’s set to be more comfortable, more efficient and better handling than ever thanks to a host of hi-tech gadgets. 

Chief among them will be the Magic Ride Control system that’s also set to feature on the new Mercedes S-Class. Cameras scan the road ahead to analyse the surface and set up the suspension accordingly. An Active Curve system is also likely to feature, which uses active anti-roll bars to stop the car leaning in the bends and helps to improve handling. 

Mercedes will stick with the folding hard-top roof but it will now be available with the option of a Magic Sky Control panel which can be turned from transparent to almost opaque at the touch of a button. Alternatively, buyers can opt for a standard sun-roof. 

Visually the new SL gets a look that borrows cues from the new SLK, CLS and SLS AMG. As you can see from these pictures the front end is more upright, the grille is narrower and the headlights are now swept back onto the wings. Meanwhile, at the rear there’s a set of large wraparound tail-lights.

Kicking off the new SL range will be the 3.5-litre V6 that produces 304bhp and will sprint from 0-62mph in just over six seconds. Next up will be a twin-turbocharged 4.7-litre V8 in the SL500 which will produce around 404bhp and accelerate to 62mph in around five seconds. The SL63 AMG model will be powered by a 520bhp 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8.

Expect to see official pictures and details of the all-new Mercedes SL by the end of this year.