Cadillac CTS-V Swapped MANUAL Gearbox Mercedes G500 Is Beyond AMG

Mercedes-AMG has done some crazy things to the G-wagen over the years, including supercharging it, dropping in a twin-turbo V12 and even adding an extra axle.

But the one bit of silliness always denied us is an AMG version with a manual transmission. So one guy in Minnesota built his own, with a little help from a Cadillac CTS-V, and now he’s giving someone else a chance to grab the keys by offering it on auction site Cars and Bids.

Starting with a 2002 Mercedes-Benz G500, the owner swapped out the entire factory engine and transmission for a 6.0-liter LS2 V8 and six-speed manual transmission from a 2006 Cadillac CTS-V, though he states he has managed to retain the G’s all-wheel drive capability, including its locking front, center, and rear differentials.

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The CTS-V’s V8 was rated at 400 hp and 395 lb-ft back in 2006, and though that’s some way off the 469 hp and 516 lb-ft offered by a mid 2000s supercharged G55, it’s actually more than comparable with its 350 hp naturally-aspirated predecessor sold in the early 2000s when this G500 was built.

A set of AMG wheels give it a factory look, but the dashboard is very definitely not factory, the instrument cluster having been ripped out and replaced with an Android smartphone running the Torque Pro app to act as a gauge pack.

A manual gearbox and a LS 6.0-liter V8 sourced from a 2006 Cadillac CTS-V

The Caddy apparently had 172,000 miles on the clock and the G500 had done 220,000 when the swap took place, so neither car nor drivetrain is in its first flush of youth. The auction listing notes paintwork chips and scratches, wear to the upholstery, trim that needs finishing off, and the seller explains that the rear diff lock actuator needs to be rebuilt, and suggests that the next owner changes the oil.

Like most engine-swapped cars, the hard work has been done, but there’s plenty of niggly bits and pieces still to sort of you like things finished off to a factory standard. Generally though, it looks sound, and it sounds amazing, a driving video showing the V8’s roar punctuated by some nice clean manual shift breaks. Come on, don’t pretend you’re not tempted.