But whereas the G63 6x6 was all about hardcore sandblasting, the Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet swaps open country for pure ostentation. It’s essentially an open-topped G-Wagen limo. At last.
Actually, the AMG association is just mechanical this time around; the Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet is built by Magna Steyr in Austria.
It seats only four, but there is plenty of luxurious room on board, what with the full-blown Unimog’s portal axles being used as a width template. At 5.3m long, it gets more than half a metre extra length when compared with the “ordinary, everyday” G-Wagen. In fact, its 3428mm wheelbase is even longer than that of a long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Ground clearance isn’t an issue either, what with 450mm of air between its tautly machined underbody and the road beneath (or rocks or sand or whatever your chauffer throws it at).
Power? Glad you asked; a 465kW twin-turbo V12 capable of generating 1000Nm of torque. Amazing figures, although this next one is a little on the worrying side; the G650 Landaulet has a combined fuel economy (ha!) figure of 17.1-litres/100km. So, a bit like a Land Cruiser V8 then.
Which brings us to the price. It’s one of those “if you have to ask” figures. Actually, in truth the manufacturer hasn’t mentioned one yet. But you can be assured it’ll be higher than the G63 6x6’s €480,000 (NZ$705,000).
If that hasn’t put you off – and the streets around your main residence are wide enough to make driving the G650 Landaulet without getting used to the sound of snapping wing mirrors — then you better get in quick; Magna Steyr is only building 99 of them.
Sauber slots into the new F1 season
Sauber’s 2017 F1 car looks ready-made for Scalextric. Photo / Supplied
Every year, in the pre-season whispering associated with Formula 1, each team gets its chance to shout a bit when unveiling its new car, before members huddle together for testing, and once again nailing the “No Journalists” sign to the clubhouse door.
For most teams, there’s something of an inevitable look to the cars, dominated by a mix of allowable architecture and sponsors’ colours. Hence, Mercedes-AMG will be silver and “Petronas green”. Renaultsport F1 will be yellow. Red Bull will be red and blue.
McLaren is changing things up a bit with the reintroduction of historic orange to its carbon fibre panels, which makes it the most interesting car on the grid; something its new management team will be fist-bumping about, even if podium places are still far from assured.
But here at The Good Oil, we were rather excited by the race car unveiled by F1 minnows Sauber. Its C36-Ferrari is a stunner. Something about that white, blue and gold livery made us think of Scalextric slot-car sets.
It’s special for the team, too. The car celebrates its 25th season together, although the heady years of BMW involvement now feel like a long, long time ago.
That is because race points do not a pretty car make. Sauber struggled in the 2016 season, managing only a single points-worthy race placing as it stared into the grim tunnel of financial ruin.
Saved from the poor house by further financial investment, the team’s main fight for 2017 will continue in the mid-field.
It would be amazing to see its slot car-tastic C36-Ferrari further up the field.
Version of a classic has a bit on the side
Lego Technic motorcycle and sidecar could be coolest BMW bike ever. Photo / Supplied
The 1967 BMW R60/2 has a solid reputation as the kind of rugged machine on which you can ride up an alp in a straight line. Handy then that our favourite think-tank, Lego Ideas, is considering making one for its Technic range, with sidecar.
You should remember Lego Ideas. Here at The Good Oil we harp on about amazing automobile-related models that brick-focused clever-clogs have designed for the website every few months or so.
We’ve seen prototype Mini Coopers, Land Rover Defenders and Lotus 7s all appear in the hope of official series adoption.
A Lego fanatic called Maxime Cheng has created the BMW R60/2 and describes its intricacies: “It isconstructed to match all the various specifications and details of the original bike, including the unique triangular front fork, handbrakes, a fuel tank, a tyre inflator, twin engines, and a sidecar (as of now still a work in progress), as well as rotating handlebars and a retractable kickstand.”
Now Cheng just has to sit it out in the hope of receiving the required 10,000 votes for the bike.
If those votes (from the public) are received, the BMW will move on to a company review stage and assessed for mass production. With around 700 days of voting left, Cheng has 5000 votes.