2015 Toyota HiLux
Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it can buy one of the most ridiculous creations to ever wear number plates in the form of the Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet.
To break that name down for you, it’s a product of Mercedes-Benz’ ultra-luxury arm, Maybach, ensuring the utmost in plush luxury, it’s a member of the same rough and rugged G-Class family that serves duty with Australia’s armed forces, and Landaulet reveals that its a convertible. Sort of.
This outrageous creation is the Benz way of saying auf wiedersehen to the iconic G-Class as it prepares to wind-down production of the current generation, with just 99 units scheduled for production.
In order to meet the requirements of Mercedes-Maybach luxury, the G 650 has had its wheelbase extended by a whopping 578 millimetres, to allow a full range of movement for the individual electrically adjustable rear seats.
A glass partition between the front and rear cabin ensures privacy and comfort, and can change from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button.
Fresh air is also just a button-tap away, with the power folding rear roof section offering open-top freedom to those in the back seats. There’s also two 10.0 inch rear seat monitors and ‘G cockpit’ console between the front and rear seats, mimicking the instrument panel.
There’s also exclusive touches including carbon fibre wheel arch flares, heated and cooled cup holders, fold out tray tables, massaging seats, power-retractable side steps, and 22-inch “landaulet” embossed alloy wheels. Three roof colours, and four paint colours, including a matte finish will be available.
With opulence taken care of, Mercedes’ engineers turned to off road ability, fitting the Maybach G 650 with the same high-clearance portal axles as the G 500 4x4² allowing a massive 450mm of ground clearance.
Under the bonnet you’ll find the same Mercedes-AMG biturbo 6.0 litre V12 as used in the AMG 65 range with 463kW of power and an earth-shattering 1000Nm of torque - a world away from the 53kW/137Nm 2.4 litre four cylinder powering the original 240 GD in the late 70s and eary 80s.
And price? Well, if you have to ask there’s a very real chance you can’t afford it. But for the moment Mercedes-Benz is yet to announce pricing, only to say that the G 650 Landaulet will cost more than the $675,000 G 63 6x6 of 2014.
Australian buyers are also out of luck, with production limited to left hand drive only and a very real chance that the target buyers for this unapologetic symbol of excess will be the same cash-laden Arab oil sheiks that snapped up the bulk of G 63 6x6 production.
MORE: Mercedes-Benz News and Reviews
