Mr. Trump, your truck is ready: Dartz tricks out the already over-the-top Mercedes G63 AMG 6X6

By Nick Jaynes March 26, 2013

Dartz Sahara G-oepard

It takes the lunacy of a Latvian to one-up the unhinged Germans at AMG.

Dartz, the armored vehicle manufacturer that produces vehicles like the Nagel Dakkar, has taken the Mercedes G63 AMG 6X6 and made it longer and more luxurious. What do they call this land monster? The Sahara G-eopard.

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After extending the body, Dartz adds some bits to the interior, including: real gold and silver trim, a 3D TV, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and a climate control unit that works even when the engine isn’t running, according to MotorAuthority.

From there, buyers can add diamond to the interior trim and a set of 24-inch alloy rims, which have been dipped in gold. And for the Sheik who has everything, Dartz will also fit the G-oepard with an enclosed smoking room with Shisha pipes plated in – you guessed it – gold.

Smartly, Dartz has chosen to leave the twin-turbocharged AMG 5.5-liter V8 alone. So drivers will still enjoy 544 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque sent to all six wheels through a low-range, five-way locking differential with some 18.1 inches of ground clearance.

Our heads are still spinning after looking at this Latvian monstrosity. Why anyone would really consider this vehicle at all is a bit beyond us. But we do suppose there are some off-road enthusiasts with way more money than sense. For them, then, this is a happy day.

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A good day to drive hard: Dartz armors the Mercedes G63 AMG 6×6

Dartz Drive Hard 6x6 G

When it comes to insane tuner cars, Dartz is in a league of its own. So what did this Latvian house of craziness decide to do to one of the most insane vehicles on the market, the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6?
While it looks like the product of a Doomsday Prepper's paranoid delusions, Dartz's modified 6x6 is actually inspired by a movie vehicle and, no, it's not Herbie the Love Bug.
Inspiration came from the MRAP (Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected) armored vehicle from A Good Day to Die Hard, leading to the pun-tastic name Drive Hard 6x6 G.
Whereas most modified vehicles feature bigger wheels or upgraded engine-control software, the Dartz Drive Hard 6x6 G features B8-grade armor that is resistant to small-arms fire.
It also makes this rolling bunker significantly heavier. Curb weight is estimated at around 11,000 pounds, compared to around 8,500 pounds for a stock G63 6x6.
That shouldn't be a problem, though because Dartz has also upgraded the 5.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V8, which now produces 1,019 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque.
The Drive Hard 6x6 G may be the most extreme version of the G63 AMG 6x6 around, but it's actually fairly typical for Dartz.
If an armored urban assault vehicle isn't your style, consider the Sahara G-eopard, a lengthened 6x6 with gold and silver trim, a 3D television, and upgraded Bang & Olufsen sound system.
It's amazing what can happen when both money and taste are no object.

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Top Gear Series 21 teaser includes McLaren P1, Mercedes 6×6, and Alfa Romeo 4C

The BBC 2’s Top Gear, the world’s most-watched television show, returns for its 21st Series this Sunday, at the exact same time as the 2014 XLVIII Super Bowl. And I can tell you which one I am going to be watching: Top Gear.
In the all-new, second trailer, we see Clarkson, Hammond, and May are up to some wacky hijinks, as usual. Clarkson drives a McLaren P1, May gets dropped into a river, and Hammond drives the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 by some lovely ladies.

Just a few series ago, I worried that my beloved Top Gear had jumped the shark. Looking at this video, though, I think the boys are back in a serious way. And I am very, very pleased.
What high-flying mayhem lies in store for us over the 21st Series? We’ll have to just wait and see.
Want to know which Top Gear episodes I think are best? Check out my list of the Top 10 Best Top Gear Episodes.

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Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6×6 is as awesome as it is ridiculous

The Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 is utterly ridiculous. Stuffing a 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 into a former military vehicle turned luxury status symbol is nonsensical enough, but then Mercedes added another axle. There is no need for a car like this, but we still want one.
Like the regular Gelandewagen (or G-Class, to the uninitiated), the G63 AMG 6x6 is based on a military vehicle. Mercedes built a batch of six-wheeled trucks for the Australian army and they’ve been in service since 2011. It’s not surprising that something this post-apocalyptic hails from the land of Mad Max and the V8 Interceptor.
The civilian version of the 6x6 gets all of the luxury amenities of the regular G-Class. The leather-lined cabin seats four, and pickup bed is even lined in bamboo.
The Australian army has to make do with a 3.0-liter diesel V6 and five-speed automatic transmission, but Mercedes’ affluent civilian customers (presumably radioactive mutant warlords and doomsday preppers with trust funds) are used to something more refined and powerful.
Under the hood is the same 5.5-liter V8 as the stock G63 AMG, with 536 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. It’s hooked up to Mercedes’ 7G-tronic seven-speed automatic transmission.
The G63 AMG 6x6 also has plenty of off-road hardware, including low-range gearing and five differential locks that can keep all six wheels turning at the same speed with the push of a button. There’s also a tire pressure control system for the huge 37-inch wheels.
The most insane aspect of this behemoth, though, is the fact that it’s not a custom one-off. Mercedes really does plan to put the G63 AMG 6x6 into production alongside four-wheeled G-Classes at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz Austria.
Only 20 to 30 of these extreme trucks will be built each year, and they won’t be cheap. Axel Harries, head of G-Class development, told Autoweek that it will probably be Mercedes second most expensive model. It will be topped only by the SLS AMG Electric Drive, which has a new official price of $457,000.