Of all the ridiculous nameplates I’ve seen in my lifetime, Mercedes has now officially taken the cake for the worst of the worst, with the G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s. Yes, this is its actual name, but despite the shockingly poor naming, it’s actually a good car underneath, made as a throwback and paying homage to the original Mercedes W 460 “Geländewagen” of the 1980s. Specifically, this new-old G-Wagon draws inspiration from the 1980s 280 GE, with a design DNA and ethos that has long been lost to time, as the G-Wagon continues to stray from its off-roading roots to become ever more luxurious and posh in some of the recent models.
But not this, as the G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s is a back-to-basics off-roader, yet paired with the abundance of refinement and creature comforts that you get in the newer G-Class models. With Mercedes’ aim to offer you supreme on and off-road capability, the G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s is even offered in one of two powertrains. So, you could either pick the G 460d diesel engine or its G500 petrol counterpart, instead. Although it will be pretty rare, with a strictly limited production run of 460 units, making the G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s one of the rarer Mercedes-Benzes that you could buy today.
Back To Basics & Old-School Off-Roading
Then again, I can’t think of many other ways to best celebrate a huge milestone for Mercedes’ beloved, cult-status off-roader, as 2023 marks the half-millionth G-Glass ever produced! With this collector’s item in mind, the new G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s offers you a pretty unique, nostalgic exterior design. It all starts with the paint, and you’re able to pick the Agave Green solid paintwork, evoking the greenness of nature, or Colorado Beige, to capture some of the old G-Wagon’s desert-ready spirit. Look closely, and you might notice quite a few other retro touches, such as the orange-lens turn signals, as well as those flared arches.
The mirror housings, too, aren’t finished in body colour, but are instead made to contrast with Night Black Magno, accompanied by the black underbody shields, all done to mirror the old W 460 G-Class. Other than that, Mercedes offers you a very classic-looking 5-spoke alloy wheels, with the equally old-school, historic Mercedes-Benz bonnet star emblem, with that lovely blue hue poking through. You can even see more of that vintage Mercedes-Benz badge elsewhere, like on the bespoke spare wheel cover. Plus, seeing that the G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s is built atop the down-to-earth G-Class variants, you get other off-road goodies.
What Was Once Old Is Brand-New Again
Rather than all the bling that comes with the AMG models, the PROFESSIONAL Line exterior is fitted with standard mudflaps, headlamp protective grilles, as well as all-terrain tyres for that off-road-y look and feel. Additionally, as an optional extra, you could spec the PROFESSIONAL roof rack for even more versatility and extra storage space. Stepping inside the new Mercedes G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s is very much like stepping into a time capsule. The upholstery is finished in a very 1980s-esque dove-grey fabric, which I’ve learned was a popular material on the 280 GE seats, contrasting against black Nappa leather for more vintage flair.
The passenger grab handles read ‘STRONGER THAN THE 1980s’, in case you forget what it was called, and its door sills also map out the Schöckl mountain near Graz, in addition to a ‘Schöckl Proved’ badge on your B-pillar, as nods to decades of off-road validation and hardcore testing. Nonetheless, it’s not entirely old-school in here, as it still retains some of the modern creature comforts of the current-day G-Class. This includes an awesome Burmester 3d surround sound system, a nice infotainment system, and a sliding glass sunroof. Alas, all of this won’t be easy on your wallet, with a high starting price of £152,815 in the UK, with order books open now.
