The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a series of sport utility vehicles. The G-Class first became available to the military in the early 1970s and the first civilian version was available in 1979. The G-Wagen which is short of Gelandewagen was not completely Mercedes-Benz it was a joint venture of the Steyr-Daimler-Puch and Mercedes-Benz' job was to design the drivetrain and interior design on the civilian models. Models of the G-Class are the G500 and the G55 AMG. In 2005 the G55 AMG received a bit of a boost in power adding a 5.5 litre supercharged V8 engine which provided 429 horsepower and 516 lbs ft of torque. The 2006 also offers an updated engine with a four valve V6 or V8 engine as well as an updated interior and exterior body.
The G-Series became available to the public in 1979 and received its first facelift in 1990 and 1997. Mercedes-Benz expects the G-wagon to be redesigned in 2007 as well, and will continue to be produced at a rate of about 4,000 to 6,000 units per year. It was originally thought that the G-Series would be replaced by the R-Series, but new reports suggest that the G-Class will continue to be produced in Austria for the forseeable future. This is good news for military and SUV enthusiasts that appreciate the true sport utility features on the G-Series vehicles.
