2020 Mercedes-benz G-class G 550 Sport Utility 4d on 2040-cars

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The Mercedes G-Class gets the full Maybach treatment before the curtain finally closes

Like the hotdog and soda combo at Costco or the official website for the 1996 movie Space Jam, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has soldiered on nearly unaltered since its birth. Sure, there have been variants like the wonderfully over-the-top G63 6x6, but the G-Wagen is essentially the same squared-off SUV with rifle-bolt locks and doors with enough mass to support a minor gravity field. Spy shots show a replacement is finally on the horizon, but based on the leaked YouTube video above and Instagram post below, it looks like the current model is going to get the full Mercedes-Maybach Landaulet treatment before the curtain finally closes. While there has been no official word from the automaker, all signs point to a genuine Mercedes-Maybach product. The vehicle is badged as a G650, which falls in line with other current V12-powered Mercedes-Maybach products. The Maybach name and badge are found in all the expected places. The license closely matches other Mercedes German-manufacturer plates. The carbon fiber fender flares and portal axles look like they were taken from the G550 4x42. The latter means, despite the increased wheelbase, this new model should still be a formidable off-road machine. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. While we can't see the interior, look for the typical Maybach treatment. That means high-quality leather surfaces throughout and an increased focus on rear seat comfort and convenience. If this is indeed a G650, it's packing a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 under the hood that churns out 630 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque. The partial convertible top is what gives this the Landaulet moniker. According to the text on this Instagram post, there will only be 99 examples produced. Look for a full reveal in the next few months. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lewis Hamilton has Vettel in crosshairs at Canadian Grand Prix

MONTREAL - The Canadian Grand Prix has been a happy hunting ground for Lewis Hamilton, and he will look to bag a sixth career win on the island circuit on Sunday to refuel his hopes of another Formula One drivers title. With 14 races remaining on the calendar, it is far from do-or-die for Hamilton, but the pressure is mounting on the Briton and Mercedes with arch rival Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari threatening to widen the gap at the top of the championship standings. Only Michael Schumacher has won the Canadian Grand Prix more times (seven), and Hamilton intends to close the gap further in Montreal as the race marks its 50th anniversary. Hamilton needs to do so, at the scene of his first ever Formula One victory a decade ago, to reel in Vettel after the German led a Ferrari one-two in Monaco and powered 25 points clear. "Montreal has been a great hunting ground for me in the past, and I plan for it to continue," the triple world champion told reporters. With five wins and five poles from previous visits to Quebec, Hamilton would normally be the favorite, but champions Mercedes are no longer the dominant team. "The Ferrari seems to work everywhere. The next 14 races are going to be very, very difficult," he said after struggling to seventh place in Monaco. "They have had arguably the strongest car all year. They look like our car which just worked everywhere last year." The race will also mark the return of twice world champion Fernando Alonso to the Formula One grid after the Spaniard skipped the Monaco Grand Prix last month to chase IndyCar glory at Indianapolis 500. Alonso turned in an impressive performance at the famed Brickyard, qualifying fifth fastest and running at the front but late in the race suffered a familiar fate with his Honda engine giving up. Little has changed at struggling McLaren during Alonso's brief sabbatical with the team still hampered by an uncompetitive Honda engine. There is plenty of reason to party around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this week with the city celebrating its 375th anniversary, Canada its 150th birthday and the Canadian Grand Prix its 50th. Williams driver Lance Stroll will be hoping to contribute to the party atmosphere. For the first time since the days of 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, the Canadian Grand Prix will have some true home interest with teenager Stroll on the starting grid for Williams.

Mercedes considering convertible SUV

Mercedes has been focusing a lot of attention lately on revitalizing and expanding its crossover and SUV lineup. So what's next for high-riding Benzes? It could be a convertible. According to Daimler's sport-ute and sports car chief Wolf-Dieter Kurz, the company is closely considering a drop-top SUV of some sort. "We will find a market," Kurz told the Australian website CarAdvice. The trouble is that "the convertible is a very slim niche in terms of the SUV portfolio." The biggest problem could be China, where luxury SUVs remain hugely popular – but where convertibles, by and large, are not. "There are lots of discussions," said Kurz, "but we didn't have any decision yet." The last time Mercedes offered a convertible SUV was with the short-wheelbase version of the Gelandewagen, pictured above. It was available (in some markets anyway) for 34 long years as part of the G-Class lineup, but was discontinued in 2013. That left the Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Discovery as the only convertible SUVs to speak of currently available. Nissan tried its hand with the Murano CrossCabriolet, but that was phased out as well, while Land Rover prepares to take another stab at it with the upcoming Evoque convertible. It'd be interesting to see what approach Mercedes might take, and where it would position the model. Related Video: