The Magna-Steyr plant in Graz is celebrating the 300,000th G-Class. The iconic automobile has been built here exclusively for Mercedes-Benz since 1979. The landmark vehicle, a G 500 in designo mauritius blue metallic, is powered by a 4-litre V8-engine that has a maximum output of 310 kW (422 PS) with a peak torque of 610 Nm. This is why it impresses with its spontaneous response and high tractive power in every situation. In combination with the Off-Road package and all-terrain tyres on 16-inch rims, the cross-country vehicle is perfectly equipped for its upcoming adventures. G-Class fans around the world determined the vehicle specifications in a voting on the official Facebook page of the G-Class.
Immediately after being delivered from Graz to Stuttgart, the G 500 has its first encounter with the wilderness. Before embarking on the first stage of its long journey, the vehicle is required to do a short warm-up session with #MBsocialcar photographer Johannes Glöggler. This means leaving the asphalted road and heading out onto bumpy dirt tracks leading to the old quarry. Briefly come off the accelerator and press the Low Range button, and the car is ready for off-road use. To enable it to make smooth progress, the G-Class additionally boasts three individually selectable differential locks. Thus equipped, the tradition-steeped cross-country vehicle really has what it takes to cope with challenging terrain. The fact that, within a very short space of time, the deep-blue paintwork is scarcely visible for all the dirt is a sign that this is where the vehicle feels most at home.
The first leg of the journey takes photographer Patrick Paparella and the blue Austrian automobile in the direction of Prague. The powerful V8 allows us to make ideal use of the absence of speed limits on the road to the Czech capital. A special highlight the next morning is the departure from Prague. With the city still asleep, the G-Class, bathed in sunlight, sets off on its way to the rumbling sound of the V8. The route takes us off over winding mountain roads in the direction of Poland. As we arrive for our overnight stay in a small Polish castle, the G-Class then demonstrates that its repertoire includes not just meaty off-road adventures, but also elegant entrances at 5-star hotels. Following a few detours across former opencast mines and through magnificent Polish forests, the automotive-photographer in the blue G 500 finally comes to rest in Berlin at the end of the first stage.
In the capital, Berlin based photographer Ricci Speckels takes over the G-Class for the next 1,400 kilometers. His route leads him to Rostock first. From here the ferry takes him to Denmark from where he, back on four wheels, continues to Malmö in Sweden. There, at the southern tip of the country, the photographer wants to explore the coast with the car, breathe fresh sea air, and drink coffee while throning on the blue G 500. But despite the beautiful calmness of the small fishing villages, the adventure lust urges Ricci to depart. A special highlight of this trip is the following stop at the car beach on the Danish island Rømø, located in the Wadden Sea. Eventually the two part ways in Hamburg. While Ricci heads back home, the G 500 is being prepared for the next section of its adventure.
The 300,000th G-Class continues the #Gventure300k through Europe and glides through Amsterdam’s narrow streets with Gijs Spierings at the beginning of the third stage. During the next stopover in Brussels, a large portion of Belgian French fries are a must before the blue beauty crosses the English Channel for a joyride to Sandwich Bay north of Dover. The stage ends with a visit to some of London’s famous landmarks.
In London the G-Class receives some accents of colour on the hood and spare tire cover before photographer Ranier Fernandez leaves for France. From Wimereux at the English Channel he drives to Bordeaux and then along the rough Atlantic Coast to Bilbao in Spain. It is in Spain’s most impressive capital, the metropolis Madrid, where the blue G 500 comes to a halt before the travel continues to the Côte d’Azur on the next leg.
Ryan Koopman takes the helm in Madrid and pilots the G 500 through the Saragossa countryside to Barcelona. From the Catalan capital, it goes along the coast to France, through Montpellier and past the Parc naturel régional de Camargue. Passing the small town of Cassis, the 300,000th G-Class reaches the Cute d’Azur. On the French Riviera, the coastal road leads via Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Nice and Monaco to Menton, the last French town before the French becomes the Italian Riviera.
