Three Great Aftermarket Tuners for the Mercedes G Class
The Mercedes-Benz G Class has a reputation that stretches back decades. Originally the byproduct of a military contract calling for a capable off-roader that could handle the harsh terrain of the Middle East, it’s since been able to straddle the line, very comfortably, between an ultra-capable adventure machine, and a refined status symbol for the streets. Combining an ultra-luxurious, high-tech interior with durable engineering designed to tackle any terrain, the G Class sits in a class almost completely of its own.
Even the base model G Class leaves the Mercedes assembly line as a world-class luxury SUV, and beginning at just under $140k, it’s already a very exclusive vehicle in its own right. Still, now that the G Class has left its no-frills origins far behind and transcended into the luxury realm, and the daily driver of choice for billionaires and celebrities, some owners may find that the stock Mercedes treatment just isn’t exclusive enough. This is where the aftermarket comes in, and to that point, here are three great aftermarket tuners that take the excellent G Class platform and knock it up another notch.
Lumma
Lumma very well might be the least well-known of all of the tuners here, at least among the layperson. Providing their textbook “restylings” to a variety of cars (mostly German) since 1987, Lumma is known for sharp-looking exterior modifications done to a high degree of finish, as well as exhaust modifications and interior personalization.
The Lumma restylings ratchet up the street presence of the G Class immensely, and Lumma dubs the end result the CLR G770 R. You’ll immediately notice a massive hood scoop accompanied by a large front splitter and revised grille. Atop the A-pillar are four auxiliary LED lights that are blended into the rest of the styling. The doors receive some revised bodywork as well as an aggressive rear diffuser to match the front.
The Lumma look is still relatively subtle compared to some other manufacturers, but some tasteful badging at the front (and a custom spare tire cover sporting the Lumma logo and model name) will clue bystanders in as to what they’re beholding. Each Lumma restyling is a fairly bespoke affair, and they offer a myriad of parts so that an owner can choose exactly how they’d like their own CLR G770 R to look. That said, there is also a tremendous value proposition here; the base kit starts at just around $15,000. That’s not a lot of money to have the only one there is around.
Mansory
In the world of exotic car tuning and modification, it’s likely there’s no company as immediately as polarizing as Mansory. Known for restyling everything from Bugatti Veyrons to Ford GTs, their hallmarks are hyper-aggressive designs. Whether the cosmetics of these are to your taste is up to you to decide, but there’s no denying it: you know a Mansory when you see it.
Their take on the G Class, which they’ve dubbed the WIDE W463, is no different. It’s quintessentially Mansory on the inside and out, which is a very good thing. Carbon fiber drips off the W463 from nearly every body panel on the outside. As you’d expect on a vehicle costing several hundred thousand dollars, almost every exterior panel is completely unique to the Mansory WIDE body kit. We’ve done a deeper dive on exactly what goes into these G Class WIDE W463s, so be sure to check them out if Mansory tickles your fancy.
As stunning as the exterior modifications are, it’s very possible that Mansory’s interiors are where they truly excel. Every interior can be customized to the owner down to the very last door lock, and it is all finished in Mansory’s iconic diamond quilted leatherwork. It’s not only the overall look and flash that come with a Mansory, but the sheer craftsmanship on every panel and every stitch. Mansory is a world-class atelier, and if you want the finest example of a G Class that money can buy, you should look no further.
Brabus
Of course, any article talking about hot-rodded G Classes would surely be amiss if it did not include what is perhaps the cornerstone of the German tuning community – Brabus. Much like Lumma and Mansory, Brabus has been churning out high-performance and highly exclusive luxury cars for decades. When we say “high-performance,” we mean 800 or 900 horsepower worth of performance, and when we say “highly exclusive,” we mean production runs of only ten examples, in some cases.
They have all the flashy bodywork and crazy engineering to keep up with any other G Class in the world, but it’s possible the true genius of Brabus lies where most will not even see – under the hood. Their engine techs are known for creating the ultimate hot-rod Mercedes V8, stripping the whole motor down and installing a bevy of custom parts, including bespoke crankshafts, connecting rods, pistons, and even whole custom turbochargers. Their “One of Ten” G Wagons usually feature 1,000nm of torque, and 800 horsepower or more. Sometimes, they’ll include a pickup bed that they’ve built on the G Class platform, as is the case with their 900 XLP. They also have more purely street-focused takes on the G, such as the “Black Ops.”
Combine all of this German muscle with great styling and beautiful interiors, which are frequently finished in their iconic clamshell-stitched leather, and you can have a G Class any way you’d like: for the streets, or for the dirt. And, those lucky enough to take ownership of a “One of Ten” G Wagon are guaranteed to have a small piece of automotive history sitting in their garages.
Overall
These three aftermarket tuners are probably the biggest names in the automotive industry for improving on and modifying the G Class, but there are plenty of other small builders and small-volume shops out there, as well. Between the build quality, name recognition, and exclusivity, it’s hard to go wrong with any vehicle from Lumma, Brabus, or Mansory; and given that exclusivity, you might just need to go with whichever you can get your hands on first. Any way you slice it, you’ll be sure to end up with the Mercedes G Class of your dreams.
