What’s that; you can’t wait for Mercedes-Benz to launch the G500 4×4²? No worries, Mcchip has you covered…kind of…
What makes a G500 4×4², which was shown as a prototype in Geneva, are a series of primarily mechanical upgrades, the most important of which are the G63 AMG 6×6’s portal axles combined with wider tracks, taller suspension and bigger wheels, to give the SUV a much higher ground clearance and significantly increased approach and departure angles.
The German tuning firm’s MC800 package emulates Mercedes’ original recipe by retrofitting portal axles, a KW DDC suspension, and 18-inch Beadlock rims in 37×15.20R18 off-road tires, which add 150mm of ground clearance and 120mm of width – not to the G500, but to the more potent G63 AMG.
The tune-up continues under the hood with Mcchip boosting the V8 engine from 544PS (537hp) and 760Nm (560 lb-ft) to 810PS (799hp) and 950Nm (701 lb-ft), which allows the large SUV to achieve a top speed of 230km/h (143mph) – whether you’d ever want to reach such speeds with a tall riding G-Class is a another story. Mcchip says it also adds a more powerful braking system.
The cost for all this? Unknown, but it doesn’t sound cheap…