Mercedes-Benz shows off 2009 G 55 AMG
click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG
Hot on the heels of its revisions to the uber-brick known as the G-Class for 2009, Mercedes-Benz has released the first batch of pics showing the hotted-up AMG version, the G 55 AMG. Like its lesser brick siblings, the big box on wheels benefits from the same upgrades in convenience, comfort and safety, but also gets a host of styling tweaks. The lipstick on this particular pig is comprised of a new chromed, three-bar grille, the requisite fender flairs, body-color bumpers, chrome trim, stainless steel tube running boards and 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels painted grey. The 5.5L V8 engine has received a modest bump from 500 hp to 507, while torque remains put at 516 pound-feet. All this adds up to an incredible 5.5 second run to 62 MPH for what is perhaps the most unaerodynamic vehicle on sale today. The starting price is 121,618 euro. We hear Britney's already ordered three.
Gallery: 2009 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG
[Source: Mercedes-Benz]
PRESS RELEASE
Targeted upgrade for the G 55 AMG
Classic with Added Appeal
Affalterbach - Following its most recent makeover, the G 55 AMG from Mercedes-AMG is now even more attractive. Boasting an upgraded performance of 373 kW/507 hp, this offroad classic has also been given
a fresh look, incorporating a reworked radiator grille and new 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels. Inside, the exclusive interior features the latest generation of telematics equipment and optional climatised seats in
combination with designo leather upholstery for enhanced passenger comfort.
The inclusion of some of the latest technology has made this classic from the AMG stable fit for the future. Thanks to the integration of a new engine control unit, the performance of the supercharged AMG 5.5-litre V8 engine has been nudged up from 368 kW/500 hp to 373 kW/507 hp, with maximum torque remaining at 700 Nm. Likewise unchanged is the vehicle's effortless performance, with the G 55 AMG accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds and peaking at a top speed of 210 km/h (electronically limited).
The upgraded G 55 AMG also features improvements in the areas of safety and comfort. The Electronic Stability Program (ESP®), for example, now boasts a new and more powerful control unit, incorporating a transverse acceleration control to allow more precise recognition of dynamic driving situations and thus provide
even better vehicle stability. In addition, the new G 55 AMG now comes with a hill-start assist. A sensor recognises whenever the off-roader comes to a halt on an ascending gradient. The system instantly memorises the braking pressure applied and maintains this for a short instant, giving drivers sufficient time to
move from the brake to the accelerator pedal without the vehicle rolling backward. The big advantage of this technology is that in most cases it eliminates the need to use the parking brake.
Discreet but effective design modifications
The new G 55 AMG boasts discreet but effective design modifications, including a new radiator grille with three distinctive horizontal bars that are painted the same colour as the rest of the body and - exclusive to the AMG top-of-the-range model - also feature chrome inserts. Moving around the vehicle, the highlight of the side view are the new polished 19-inch five-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels painted titanium grey. They are 9.5 inches wide and equipped with 275/55 R 19 tyres that impressively bulk out the wheel arches.
Still a standard feature of the AMG body-styling package are the bumpers painted in body colour and the characteristic AMG wide fenders. Other features include a brushed-aluminium trim set boasting a distinctive AMG logo and the twin oval chrome tailpipes of the AMG sports exhaust system, emerging from beneath the stainless-steel running boards on either side of the vehicle - an unmistakable sign of the power of the supercharged AMG 5.5-litre V8 engine.
New COMAND APS and designo leather upholstery fitted as standard
The G 55 AMG also underscores its exclusive character with designo leather upholstery, which is standard and now features a new silver-coloured designo emblem on the front backrests. The seats are colour-coordinated with the designo decorative wood trim as well as the wood/leather steering wheel and the redesigned wood/leather selector lever bearing a G 55 logo. Also new is the interior roof lining made of anthracite Alcantara. Helping to enhance passenger comfort, particularly in the summer months, are the new climatised seats, which
are available for the first time with this model.
Drivers of the new G 55 AMG will also benefit from the latest generation of telematics equipment developed by Mercedes. The standard equipment COMAND APS system boasts a high-definition 6.5-inch colour display, rapid HDD navigation with aerial view, LINGUATRONIC for controlling audio, navigation and phone systems, a 4 GB memory for music files, and a slot for SD memory cards. Also
available as an option is a DVD changer and a universal interface for plugging in USB sticks, iPods, or other external audio devices.
The G 55 AMG is only available as a long-wheelbase station wagon with five doors. The vehicle will be available from September 2008 at a price of 121,618 euros (incl. 19 percent sales tax).
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tom F 1:35PM (6/06/2008)
What's the gpm? Something close to an M1A1 tank I guess.
Reply
WackyChan 4:49AM (6/13/2008)
My neighbor states that he gets 10-12mpg. Better, in all matters important, than a slower, less capable H2 any day of the week.
psu48187 1:41PM (6/06/2008)
I love it how the euros attache -tronic to the end of their new technology. Gas Guzzlertronic, how about that?
Reply
Koko 1:42PM (6/06/2008)
Please...let this truck go away like the Hummer brand-tronic.
Benfolio 1:59PM (6/06/2008)
Speaking of, I'm pretty sure the H1 is LESS aerodynamic than the G-wagen.
dan 7:35PM (6/07/2008)
At least it's not more unaerodynamic.
(sorry couldn't help myself)
adelossa 1:48PM (6/06/2008)
*gasp* 3 bar grille? They stole Ford's design!
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Michael 1:50PM (6/06/2008)
Talk about bad timing... but then again, anyone who can buy this super.... supertruck?... can definitely afford the gas.
Reply
TJ 1:51PM (6/06/2008)
why does everyone get Autoblog and Autoblog green confused? Seriously, every comment thread on every post turns into an enviro-rant, and it is seriously detracting from the quality of this site.
Reply
Ultima GT-R 2:02PM (6/06/2008)
uhh i don't see any "enviro-rant" in this post..
brn 2:11PM (6/06/2008)
What do you expect from the land of excess...
...no, wait!
Rick 2:20PM (6/06/2008)
Get used to it. They will soon become one in the same. Don't you watch the news? Oil is projected to hit $150 a barrel by July. Israel is about to start WWIII in the desert. Hello Mad Max...
Ian B. 2:26PM (6/06/2008)
My life fades. The vision dims. All that remains are memories. I remember a time of chaos. Ruined dreams. This wasted land. But most of all, I remember the Road Warrior. The man we called “Max”. To understand who he was, you have to go back to another time. When the world was powered by the black fuel. And the desert sprouted great cities of pipe and steel. Gone now, swept away. For reasons long forgotten, two mighty warrior tribes went to war and touched off a blaze which engulfed them all. Without fuel, they were nothing. They built a house of straw. The thundering machines sputtered and stopped. Their leaders talked and talked and talked. But nothing could stem the avalanche. Their world crumbled.
TJ 2:27PM (6/06/2008)
@ultima:
see the dozens of posts about MPG, fuel prices, hatred thrown at SUV's and makers of SUV's, hatred thrown at SUV's and owners of SUV's... heck, take one look at any of the Hummer threads from the past week.
I am just getting sick and tired of not being able to view an intelligent discussion on cars or trucks (you know, the reason this site exists) without having to stumble through a dozen people posting about their moral superiority.
Sanders 3:08PM (6/06/2008)
Thanks for throwing in the mad max bit. I'd forgotten that lead in to the movie. Yep, strange days we're living in.
endotoxic 8:44PM (6/06/2008)
I passed by a gas station yesterday selling premium at $4.65. Cars like the G, and the Hummer that will never see the kind of duty they're supposedly designed and built for, are the wrong cars for the road today, period. You don't have to be a tree-hugger to know this, you just have to be smart.
If all you think of auto-enthusiasm amounts to big engines in aggressive vehicles that get single-digit mpg figures, you're playing to a stereotype, or only a portion of who we are.
endotoxic 8:48PM (6/06/2008)
"see the dozens of posts about MPG, fuel prices, hatred thrown at SUV's and makers of SUV's, hatred thrown at SUV's and owners of SUV's... heck, take one look at any of the Hummer threads from the past week.
I am just getting sick and tired of not being able to view an intelligent discussion on cars or trucks (you know, the reason this site exists) without having to stumble through a dozen people posting about their moral superiority."
Relax. SUV drivers who post here have had no trouble bashing the Prius just as much. Which, objectively and rationally speaking, makes a lot less sense given our financial and environmental exigencies today.
tekdemon 3:23AM (6/07/2008)
Talking about the idiocy of a 500-600HP SUV when gas is $4+ a gallon (actually I think this thing eats premium so it's about $4.50 here) isn't really about how much pollution it's spewing out or even how much resources it's taking up.
It's about the sheer idiotic waste.
And don't tell me that the horsepower is needed for towing some massive boat here, this is a friggin' G55 AMG whose main purpose is to show off that you have so much money you'll drive totally ridiculous crap because you enjoy wiping your ass with $100 bills.
And yes it can theoretically offroad quite well, but quite frankly only the most insane people would ever buy an AMG Galenwagen just to go offroading. And I'd be willing to bet money that 99%+ of G55 AMG customers will never, ever, ever, take this thing out to go off-roading. Ever.
600HP sports cars are cool. Hardcore off-roading SUVs that actually get used for said purpose are cool. Stupidly expensive overkill "I am richer than you" machines are just poseriffic.
Franz 1:53PM (6/06/2008)
Even though this is a real SUV... with serious off-roading credentials to boot, it's still a pointless vehicle... as I think all luxury SUVs are. The strange thing is I still love it, and kinda want one...
Reply
IK47 2:33PM (6/06/2008)
what makes it so useless?
actually, this car is pretty useful if you live where you need to go off road frequently.
(hint: not everyone lives in an American suburb)