GQ South Africa – September 2019

s eptember 2019 / 51

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G63 AMG 6X6 Gear

Nosoonersaidthandone,theymobilised

thenecessaryfundsandbuilta prototype.

Theconceptclickedwith(loaded)customers

worldwide,andMercedes-Benzendedup

handmakingmorethana hundredofthe

colossalG63AMG6x6between 2013 and2015.

Atthetime,it wasthemostexpensivemodelin

itsline-up.If usedonesevercomeup,theyhover

significantlyabovetheone-million-Euromark.

A wealthySouthAfricanbusinessman

showedaninterest.However,theonlymodels

availablewereleft-handdriveandcouldn’t

beimportedintothecountry.A well-known

GermanMercedestuner,Brabus,cameto

therescue.Theywouldbewillingtoconvert

a smallbatchof 10 vehiclesintoright-hand

drives– forR12millionapiece.Thewealthy

SouthAfricanentrepreneurordered10.

Now,I’msittinginoneofthem;onethathas

receivedloadsofadditionalcustomfabrications

fromtheJustLikePapateam,makingtheG63

When German car enGineers Get

toGether for a beer after Work,

it sometimes ends in unambiguous

proof that they have a brilliant sense

of humour. Take this idea spawned in

a pub, for instance: ‘Why don’t we give the

utilitarian Mercedes G, with its

three axles, the full AMG treatment?’

6x6 even more unique. One of my favourite

features is the shock-proof, single-malt

whisky cabinet, integrated with the rear

under the chromed roll bar. It transforms

the 6x6 into the most stylish sundowner

vehicle in the country. By far.

Performance wise, Wulfchiptegnik was

responsible for the R240 000 Akrapovic-

titanium exhaust system, which was combined

with the company’s performance software

• a world first on a G63. As we’re all aware,
  AMG is well-known for the sound produced by
  their V8s. They growl, howl, scream and rumble
  with guttural passion. The Akrapovic exhaust
  changes all this into something more seismic,
  almost tectonic-plates-shifting. This isn’t a mere
  angry sound anymore; it’s angry Mother Alien,
  right after Ripley uses the flame thrower on her
  offspring and incinerates her alien eggs.
  Its 500kW power and an enormous torque
  of 1100Nm irons out the steep sand dunes of
  Atlantis. Even with almost no momentum,
  the beast screams up loose inclines in a rather
  intoxicating way. There’s a grin on my face,
  even long after this exhilarating drive has
  ended. And fuel consumption? No comment.
  The electrification of cars seems to be
  unstoppable, but as long as fun-loving
  engineers are coming up with vehicles like
  Addition the 6x6, I’m not worried.

Al photogr

Aphy by K

Alle Kortel

Ainen/Unspl

Ash.com