Mercedes-Benz Builds 300,000th G-Class

Few automobiles have a full and storied history as the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. Originally built as a pure off-road military vehicle, the G-Wagen quickly developed a cult-like following among upper-class adventure-seekers around the world. And while waiting for the latest iteration of the classic boxy design to debut, Mercedes-Benz has announced that the company has built the 300,000th G-Wagen.

The G-Wagen has been in production since 1979, and has been produced by Mercedes-Benz’s partner, Magna Steyr, since the SUV’s inception. Since then, the G-Wagen has largely remained the same, retaining much of the original architecture, but gaining updates to the engines and interior to stay up with market demands.

The 300,000th G-Wagen was finished in Designo Mauritus Blue Metallic with black leather seats and contrasting white stitching, and features a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter  V-8 engine lifted from the brand’s other automobiles, including many of its new AMG offerings. The 300,000th G-Wagen additionally features the same rugged body-on-frame design, and comes with Mercedes-Benz’s Off-Road package which features 16-inch wheels, more rugged all-terrain tires, headlight guards, and a roof rack made to keep up with all your off-road adventures.

According to the company, the 300,000th G-Wagen won’t go to a customer, but will become a showcase of the car’s lineage and attributes and be heavily featured on Mercedes-Benz’s social media channels, as well as go on a few adventures which can be followed through the hashtag, #Gventure300k.

“The G-Class has been produced by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, on behalf of Mercedes-Benz since 1979. Today our off-road icon is more successful than ever. The production of 300,000 G-Class models is an impressive milestone,” said Dr. Gunnar Güthenke, head of the off-road products at Mercedes-Benz, in a statement.

“The team which has contributed substantially to this success includes employees who have been part of the story of the G-Class for 38 years. We have enjoyed decades of successful cooperation with Magna Steyr in the production of the G-Class.”

The next-generation 2019 G-Wagen will likely debut this fall, either at the Frankfurt auto show in September, or the Los Angeles auto show in November. The new G-Wagen will be the first extensive redesign since the off-roader’s introduction nearly 40 years ago.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

The post Mercedes-Benz Builds 300,000th G-Class appeared first on Motor Trend.

from Motor Trend http://ift.tt/2tKfzyS