This Ultra-Rare Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen Is the First With a V-12. It’s Now Heading to Auction.
An exceedingly rare version of a luxury icon is about to hit the auction block.
Early next month, RM Sotheby’s will auction off an ultra-exclusive 2002 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG V12. The attractive vehicle is the first variant of the 4×4 to feature a V-12 and was never made available to the general public.
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The G-Class may have started out life as a military utility vehicle but it has been a hit with Mercedes’s more deep-pocketed clientele since debuting as a civilian vehicle in 1979. The first AMG version, the G55, would debut 20 years later in 1999. These high-performance examples, the most famous of which is the G63, would prove even more popular and have become the most desirable version of the vehicle in the years since.
Not all AMG G-Wagens are created equal, though. And the most coveted of all may be the 2004 AMG G63 V12, a V-12-powered G-Class that many people don’t even know exists. That’s because the vehicle was never offered to the public, advertised, or even displayed at auto shows, according to the auction listing. The only way to snag the SUV was to be approached by AMG itself and invited to purchase one. Unsurprisingly, this didn’t happen all that often, and only five are believed to have been built.
The G-Class headed to auction was owned by a member of the royal family of Dubai, who held onto the vehicle for more than two decades before parting ways with it last year. It’s finished in the same Alabaster White paint it left the factory in, and features a chrome grille and 18-inch, five-spoke silver wheels. The interior features grey leather, walnut veneer trim, and velour floor mats, along with some other plush add-ons, like a sliding roof and TV tuner.
Of course, what really differentiates this G-Wagen from its peers can be found under the hood. As the name may have given away, this example is powered by a “mammoth” 6.3-liter V-12 instead of the V-8 found in other G63s. The mill produces 440 hp which is sent to all four wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission. That output may not sound like much today when the current AMG version of the off-roader makes 577 horses, but it was practically unheard of around the turn of the millennium. It has over 27,000 miles on the odometer but looks to have been kept in great shape over the last two decades.
Looking for a G-Wagen that stands out? The 2002 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG V12 is set to go up for bid this coming Sunday, December 1. RM Sotheby’s expects the rare SUV to sell for between $350,000 and $450,000.
Click here for more photos of the 2002 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG V12.
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