When we drove the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen last year in Namibia, it conquered every grain of sand the pithing little desert could muster up. Then when we had it on road test – surprise, surprise, it felt like an urban invasion on Cape Town. Driving it in the city was like being  back on the lounge room floor, playing with green, stick men soldiers, trying to incite a coup in a faraway land and I bet that’s exactly how all G-Wagen owners feel about their cars too.

Which brings us to the remarkable story of Gunther Holtorf and his wife Christine, who have travelled more than 800 000km (500 000 miles) in there Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. Back in 1989, as the Berlin Wall fell, they set out on what was meant to be an 18-month tour of Africa. Things got a bit out of hand and now the former German airline executive has travelled the equivalent of 20 times around the planet, over 23 years, in the vehicle he has nicknamed ‘Otto.’

Remarkably, ‘Otto’ has never suffered a serious break down and after such a long time on the road, Holtorf says he knows the car so well, that he can fix any issue almost immediately. He, his wife and Otto have travelled through Australia, South America, deepest Africa and up to the base of Mount Everest.

Below is a slide show, with commentary from Gunther Holtorf and photographer David Lemke about the incredible journey. We proclaimed that you ignore the G-Wagens folkloric reputation at your peril and I guess we were absolutely right!

The future Mercedes G55 AMG has been spied while it performing some winter testing in Sweden. Luckily, this prototype was dressed down enough to reveal a few more details on the exterior changes.

From these images we can see that the new G55 AMG will be fitted with new side mirrors, a revised grille and a new front bumper. The SUV will also get new wheels with a new design and an updated brake system. For the interior, Mercedes will offer a new instrument cluster, a new steering wheel, and a sat-nav screen on top of the dash as seen on the new B-Class.

Under the hood, the Mercedes G55 AMG will have a 5.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 with around 386 kW and 700 Nm of torque. Mercedes has promised it will work on improving the fuel consumption, but they can only do so much with the boxy design and robust construction. Also rumoured to be in the works is a G65 AMG, powered by a bi-turbo 6.0-litre V12 with 463 kW and 1 000 Nm of torque.

Not so long ago I had the chance to jet off to the wilds of Namibia to experience the return of the Mercedes Benz G-Class off roader, and over the last week I also had the pleasure to drive the G-Wagon, G-Wagen or Gelandewagen, as it’s more popularly known, on road test as well. It is of course Mercedes Benz’s iteration of a Toyota Land Cruiser or Land Rover Defender, a rough and rugged, off road, 4×4 vehicle. My first impression of the G-Class was obviously heavily swayed by the almost exclusive sand dune driving we did in Namibia. It’s an environment unlike one I’ll ever drive on a daily basis. So now that I have the monstrosity parked in my driveway, what are my thoughts?

Both the G-Class’ erstwhile Defender and Land Cruiser competitors have been around since the late 1940s and early 1950s, both with a cursory nod to World War 2 fanning the flame of their development, much like the American Jeep on the allied side. The Germans didn’t win that war remember, and promptly had their military torn apart. Presumably accounting for the lack of a civilian conversion, military based off roader in their country. However, some 30 years on, in 1981, the G-Wagon was gifted to the world. It may not have been converted from military use after WW2 but it does have military genealogy at its core, or so we’re told.

And wow, does this show. Particularly on the interior: Radio/CD player – no. Exposed screen heads – yes. Electric windows – no. Snorkel air intake – yes. This G-Wagon wants to be fording through a river in enemy controlled territory with its spot lights on, not taking me down to the local for a beer with my mate. To test the vehicle properly I literally have to drive the length of Africa up to Libya and get it scuffed up in a battle with Colonel Gadhafi’s militia. As such an eventuality is a bit extreme for my taste, I can only comment on far more mundane things on the G300 CDI Professional.

Like how dated it looks in this specification. With steel wheels and the totally square, big windows, rear three quarter, it looks almost like an antique. I was born in 1981; Depeche Mode and Metallica (my two favorite bands) were formed in 1981, and this car was first built in 1981 and we’ve all moved with the times, except for the car that is. I know ‘keeping it old school’ is the done thing these days, and worrying what a G-Wagon looks like is like worrying about the politics of the ANC: utterly pointless. But you will worry when you see the price tag… R 773 990. Sounds like a lot, right? That’s twice as much as a Land Rover Defender. But hang on, because most of me is convinced it’s totally worth it.

Ignore its folkloric reputation and rarefied presence at your peril. Divisional Manager of MBSA, Eckhart Meyer, told me that not one month has gone by since he landed in South Africa five years ago, without a customer calling, asking about the G-Wagon’s return to South Africa. That’s why the price is what it is, because Mercedes will get that much for one. The G-Wagon is hand built in Austria, unlike any other vehicle with the three pointed Mercedes-Benz star. It has 6 400 manual welds affected to its steel, ladder chassis, making it virtually indestructible they say. Mercedes-Benz are confident it is “the most limitless off road capable vehicle ever made.” And Austro-Germans do tend to be rather bullish in their ambitions. The governor of California, and Hitler, and an Austrian Countess I met in KwaZulu-Natal who goes by the name of Isabella Von Stepski spring to mind.

The impression one gets of its off road capability, even if you are sitting in your driveway, is immense. Over the two days earlier this year, sand-dunning, rock crawling and river crossing through the Namibian landscape – the vehicle didn’t skip a beat. Approach and departure angles of 36 and 31 degrees respectively, 213 mm ground clearance and 600 mm fording depth. The level of weapons grade engineering that feels like it’s gone into this vehicle is hard to ignore and plain to feel.

This ‘limitless-ness’ is a big part of what you’re paying for, the other is the technology that underpins the G-Wagon. Its 3.0-litre V6 diesel produces 135 kW and 400 Nm and is matted to a five speed automatic. This is light years ahead, in my humble opinion, of what the Land Rover Defender offers you with its breathless 90 kW, four cylinder motor, manual gearbox and performance that tops out at 132 km/h. The G300 CDI can do 160 km/h easily, making it a scud missile by comparison, and it’s effortless to drive with the automatic gearbox. It’s also twice as comfortable as a Defender. It’s more spacious, the seats have more adjustment, and you don’t have to have your whole torso out the window as you must do in a Defender. The ride is genuinely good as well. It’s comfortable and can be taken on long journeys easily. The Defender does pip the G-Wagon by offering, central locking, electric windows and a radio/cd player, and of course not having music in a vehicle like this is immensely frustrating with only the sound of the snorkel breathing like Darth Vader above the driver’s window to entertain you. The G-Wagon is the only car as well, that must have all its doors slammed closed with full force for them close properly.

The Austrian plant can only handle a few hundred handfuls of hand built orders every year, so don’t worry Land Rover man, the rarity of the G-Class will remain intact. What I loved most about my time in the G-Wagon was the sense that everywhere I went, was like a military invasion. I know I think like a six year old boy most of the time, but I really felt like that all the time. I’m invading the pub, I’m invading the supermarket, and now I’m invading Citrusdal. It was like I was back on my lounge room floor, playing with green, stick men soldiers, trying to incite a coup in a faraway land. And I bet that’s exactly how G-Wagon owners feel about their cars too.

What we like…

• It’s like one of the seven automotive wonders of the world.
• 3.0-litre V6 diesel is a great, hi-tech engine, but can still run on 500 ppm diesel.
• It’s hand built and should be more reliable than its competitors.
• Comfortable interior and easy to use controls with automatic gearbox.

What we would like…

• A radio for goodness sake.
• Central locking.
• For the price to come down by a few R100 000.

Ray Leathern has been test driving and critiquing cars for four years now. You’ll find his work at autocirca.com, the Mail & Guardian and of course, right here on SACarFan.

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah earlier this week unveiled his country’s first car and has given it the green light to become a production reality.

The Saud Gazal-1 concept, first shown at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March, was designed by 50 automotive engineering students at King Saud University specifically for the climate and conditions of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia’s Higher Education Minister, Khaled Al-Anqari, thanked King Abdullah for his support of the project and congratulated the students at KSU.

Based on a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon platform, the Gazal-1 is 4.8 m long and about 1.9 m wide and named after a desert deer, which apparently maintains grace and elegance in harsh habitats. It was developed in collaboration with a number of large companies including Mercedes, Motorola, Magna Steyr and StudioTorino.

“This is the fruit of your support,” Mr Al-Anqari said. “What is achieved today is a clear proof of the ability of Saudi youth to make innovations and inventions … if they are provided with the adequate facilities and given opportunities. It also shows that we have capable people who can transform ideas into products of high economic value.”

Although still in the early stages, the plan is to bring the Saud Gazal-1 into production within two years with an ultimate goal of manufacturing 20 000 units annually. Estimates suggest it will cost around US$500 million to make the Gazal-1 concept a production reality.

Adapted from CarAdvice