The evergreen G-Wagen turns 35 this year, and while the short wheelbase version has had its Final Edition send-off in 2011, the five-door W463 is still going strong. Latest in the long line of specials is this, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class Edition 35, built to commemorate the said anniversary.
Marking it out are the 18-inch bright black alloys and obsidian black bumpers, wheelarch linings, wing mirrors and roof, all of which sit in stark contrast to the designo mystic white bright or palladium silver metallic paint finishes. The Sports package comes standard here, as are the AMG flared wheelarches.
Two variants are available: 211 hp/540 Nm G 350 BlueTEC and 388 hp/530 Nm G 500. The latter gets a sports exhaust system and lots of chrome additions as standard fitments. Inside, the Edition 35 duo boasts a few unique designo and AMG performance add-ons, including a full-leather interior with red contrast stitching.
More than a simple anniversary model, the G-Class Edition 35 also coincides with the end of an epic 26-year, 215-country and 900,000 km round-the-world adventure of Gunther Holtorf and his wife Christine in their 1988 Mercedes-Benz 300 GD. Well actually, “round-the-world” isn’t exactly the most accurate way of describing the journey, as the full distance would be enough to circle the globe 22 times over!
The 88 hp/170 Nm inline-five diesel machine went through over 250,000 km of off-road tracks, helped with reinforced springs and absorbers. Otherwise, “the entire drivetrain with the engine, transmission and axles is still original. Neither the frame nor the body have shown any signs of fatigue,” according to the Holtorfs.
Christened ‘Otto’, the special G-Wagen is now immortalised in the Guinness World Records, and will soon be a permanent showpiece at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim – but not before another two years on the road, travelling around Mercedes-Benz Centres across Europe. Talk about a hard life!
1988 Mercedes-Benz 300 GD “Otto”
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What an adventure ! Malaysian should challenge this record with our own Proton Saga !
Where do you get your regular weed supply?
Does it comes in right hand drive version? Sabahans and Sarawakians will love to get their hands on one. Better than recond Land Cruiser aka Ninja King. :)
once you earn enough…go for an adventure
Might be dangerous to do the round-the-world journey now with the IS terrorists. Tourists caught by them could be beheaded
And they convert your G wagon to carry machine gun, or worst, suicide truck.