Don't Teach Your Father To Make Babies
evo India|July 2017

It has been around for nearly four decades, even its intended replacement is over a decade old now, yet the G-Wagen refuses retirement. What more can daddy teach sonny?

Sirish Chandran
Don't Teach Your Father To Make Babies

I TURN 39 THIS MONTH AND AS THE GREY hairs poking out of my beard will attest, I’m no longer a spring chicken. Even less of a spring chicken is the car I’m driving. The back story is a familiar tale: the Shah of Iran, a significant Mercedes-Benz stakeholder in the seventies, wanted a cross-country vehicle for his armed forces to venture far and wide. Testing in the Sahara and the Arctic Circle revealed a 4x4 so capable it was quickly civilised, going on sale a year after I was born. A year later the Pope got his Popemobile. Three years later, a nearstock G-Class won the Paris-Dakar rally. Then came three locking differentials. Air-con, ABS, an auto ’box, all kinds of engines, a dash fashioned out of something more than metal sheets folded by pliers – everything was thrown at the G. An (intended) end-of-story ‘Classic’ edition came and went twenty years ago; it was followed by another end-of-line ‘Grand’ edition. AMG shoe-horned a V12 into it. A ludicrous 6x6 version murdered a few dunes. The US Army militarised it into the Fast Attack Vehicle. Maybach left the rear quarters open to the skies and slapped a half a million dollar price tag on it. It’s an incredible story, a slab-sided 38-year-old dinosaur that is still ticking away, every minor update managing to land itself on the covers of magazines! This is the newest variant – the Edition 463 sticker job – and it is causing accelerated greying of my stubble as arms saw away at the steering wheel in response to a planted right foot.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2017-Ausgabe von evo India.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2017-Ausgabe von evo India.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS EVO INDIAAlle anzeigen
evo India

FAST STEAD

This Skoda Octavia RS 230 is fast enough to blow your mind but not its engine

time-read
3 Minuten  |
August 2021
Ford Fusion
evo India

Ford Fusion

Practical, great engine and dynamics, but weird styling ensured buyers stayed well away

time-read
2 Minuten  |
August 2021
evo India

Mahindra Bolero Neo

Armed with an iconic badge, a fresh face and a mechanically locking differential, the Bolero Neo could just be the compact SUV you’ve been looking for

time-read
5 Minuten  |
August 2021
evo India

RISING FROM THE ASHES

The third generation Suzuki Hayabusa is one of the fastest production motorcycles in the world, and a bike that truly deserves to be ridden flat out at the High Speed Track at NATRAX

time-read
7 Minuten  |
August 2021
BIJOY KUMAR Y
evo India

BIJOY KUMAR Y

Bijoy is quite looking forward to what the recent space launches could mean

time-read
3 Minuten  |
August 2021
evo India

DOA: HSV HRT 427

This racing-inspired 7-litre Holden Monaro garnered more than enough interest for its limited production run to sell out. But sadly the sums didn’t add up

time-read
2 Minuten  |
August 2021
evo India

Mini Cooper S Convertible

Mini gives the Convertible a more modern front end, more technology on the inside and a very bright paint scheme

time-read
5 Minuten  |
August 2021
evo India

VW Taigun GT

Good news! With two GT variants, Volkswagen are set to make the 1.5 TSI motor even more accessible to us enthusiasts

time-read
8 Minuten  |
August 2021
THE DOCTOR CHECKS OUT
evo India

THE DOCTOR CHECKS OUT

As Rossi decides to hang up his boots after 26 seasons, we take a look back at his journey through MotoGP

time-read
2 Minuten  |
August 2021
“IF THE RATING IS DONE, NATRAX COULD BE ONE OF THE TOP THREE PROVING GROUNDS IN THE WORLD”
evo India

“IF THE RATING IS DONE, NATRAX COULD BE ONE OF THE TOP THREE PROVING GROUNDS IN THE WORLD”

Speaking to Dr N Karuppaiah, additional director and centre head, NATRAX

time-read
4 Minuten  |
August 2021