Carlex Design G 63 Steampunk Edition – A $500,000 Masterpiece
Carlex Design is known in high-end luxury circles for creating masterful interiors for everything from luxury cars to private jets. In this domain, the Mercedes-Benz G Class still reigns supreme as the luxury SUV of choice for the consumer who can have everything and demands the only finest, so it would naturally follow that a customized G Wagon would sit well within their purview. Enter the Carlex Design G 63 Steampunk Edition.
Ultra-Unique and Ultra-Exclusive
There’s no shortage of crazy, highly limited runs of customized G Wagons from aftermarket shops on the market. Even Mercedes-Benz themselves have used the platform to create some of their most highly-vaunted and experimental offerings; one such example is the recent collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Moncler that resulted in the Project Mondo G, which is perhaps more of a modern art project than a serious automobile. The Carlex Steampunk Edition is perhaps, then, most similar in spirit to this fascinating creation because it stands in a category all to itself. Here’s everything you need to know about this copper creation.
Custom Copper Exterior
The defining external feature of the Carlex Steampunk Edition is one of color, and that color is copper. The large, bespoke copper wheels will likely be the first things you’ll notice upon running your eyes over the exterior of the vehicle. Moving around the car, you’ll also see a custom copper spare wheel cover that has actually been engraved with a very on-brand steampunk design, as if the high-polish copper wasn’t flashy enough. The piece de resistance, however, is the completely unique copper roof panel. Like the spare wheel cover, it’s been engraved and is piece-unique. This isn’t a laid-back, CNC engraving, either. No, all of the brightwork is engraved one at a time by a master craftsman, an extremely conscious decision on the part of Carlex to integrate the “old ways” of craftsmanship into such a modern and technological marvel as the Mercedes G Class.
Skulls, gears, revolvers, and top hats serve as design motifs that sprawl across the entirety of the roof. It’s almost a shame that such a masterpiece resides on the roof of the vehicle, hidden from plain sight, but this is exactly the way that Carlex wants it. No huge faux air intakes or massive diffusers here; Carlex’s poison of choice is a bit more subtle than this. At first glance, anyway.
Other than these most notable details, the usual “custom G Wagon touches” abound, including gold accents on the “rub strips” as well as a custom grille and hood ornament. The side-exhaust tips are also copper-colored. Overall? While it sports some extremely ostenations ornamentation, the “but look closer” method of design that Carlex employs on the Steampunk Edition is refreshing and does a fantastic job of melding the gaudy and the restrained.
World-Class Interior
As stated, Carlex Design is perhaps best known as the interior shop to end all interior shops, and the interior of the Steampunk Edition is surely a high water mark for the company. Before even entering the cabin upon opening the door, you’ll notice ornately-tooled and -embroidered leather inserts on the doors, festooned with a design motif that carries over throughout the rest of the interior, including the floor mats and “kick plates” of the footwell. The leather itself is a handsome chocolate-brown color, which serves as an excellent base for the bespoke copper hardware that adorns the entirety of the cabin. The chocolate Alcantara headliner is also extremely detailed, sporting a pair of crossed revolvers and “Modern Steampunk” badging.
Of course, all the OEM Mercedes seats have also been extensively re-worked and recovered in Carlex’s trademark combination of smooth and perforated leather. Finally, a personalized plaque resembling a real copper ingot and indicating the individual production number of the vehicle is mounted just above the map lights. This will serve as an unforgettable reminder of the true rarity of this vehicle each time you get behind the wheel. Carlex has a talent for seamlessly integrating the exterior and interior aesthetics of a vehicle into one extremely cohesive package, and they were able to execute this to perfection once again with such a unique theme.
Perfection Takes Time (and Costs)
Naturally, an ungodly amount of time is poured into each Steampunk Edition conversion (for a total run of ten vehicles, according to Carlex). Each build takes – are you ready? – a whopping 5,200 hours of labor to bring them up to Carlex standards. This is equivalent to 650 standard work days. Even Carlex’s other G 63-based creations, such as the gorgeous Mint & Gold Edition, don’t see anywhere near this amount of time spent on each vehicle. Likely, much of this time is spent on the fabrication and engraving of the myriad copper accents that adorn the Steampunk Edition.
With such a tremendously pored-over build as the Steampunk, you can bet that it comes with a high price tag, and you’d be right. Each conversion will cost approximately $350,000 on top of the base price of the donor vehicle. All in all, you’re looking at an investment of around $500,000 in order to call yourself an owner of one of these most impressive G Wagons.
Fit For A King
As we’ve seen, the Carlex Design G 63 Steampunk Edition stands well on its own among other highly-customized G Wagons, including those from Brabus and Mansory. While it may look like another “wheel- and paint-job” from the side, a closer look reveals the bevy of incredible details that make the Steampunk Edition so unique. Details like the fully engraved copper roof paired with a matching copper spare tire cover, and a full-on steampunk theme throughout the custom interior illustrate Carlex’s prowess in crafting iconic interiors with world-class finish and materials. If you are fortunate enough to be able to write the check for your own Carlex Design G 63 Steampunk Edition, you’ll be able to own a true piece of automotive history, as well as one of the most luxurious driving experiences that money can buy.
