No amount of niceties can free this overpriced G63 from winter’s grip.
Mercedes-Benz calls the G63 6X6 the “automotive declaration of independence.” Late last month in Cortina, Mother Nature thought to herself, Ha ha. That’s cute. You’re not going anywhere.
Supercar collector Greg B. of Instagram fame took his “#GreenPanzer” out into the harsh winter conditions to do what all G-Classes were originally designed to do: conquer the outdoors.
Some of his Instagram posts show the 6X6 doing just that, despite having the tops of its wheel arches and roof caked with thick white powder.
While some G-Wagen owners use their rigs to make them stand out as the coolest shoppers at the mall, Greg uses his to get over — and through — huge snow drifts. As he says in one post, “Why do you need a @mercedesbenz #G636x6 ?! To go through things!” It sure does…
…until it doesn’t. In the above video, it’s clear that Mother Nature eventually overpowers his 6×6. Its impressive stats become irrelevant. It doesn’t matter that it has 18 inches of ground clearance. The portal axles are rendered useless. The three locking differentials can’t help.
Not one of the six enormous tires can provide enough grip to enable the giant German to extract itself. Greg gets so jammed in the white stuff that even a diesel-powered plow on treads can’t yank the 6×6 out of its arctic prison.
It brings the Mercedes slogan of “The best or nothing” to mind. The 6X6 is a ridiculously capable vehicle, but in this particular case, the 6×6 gives its best and Greg gets nothing – except a lesson on the limits of his truck. Perhaps the folks at our sister forum MBWorld should rethink their choice in off-road vehicles.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
