The quintessential luxury super-truck is getting a special-edition run exclusively for U.S. buyers.
A tweet from Mercedes-Benz USA picked up by outlets including Car and Driver teased a special 200-vehicle U.S. run of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class Edition 550, named for the G550 model on which its based.
The famously sought-after “G-Wagen” is not only the most rugged and utilitarian vehicle in Mercedes’ roster, but also among the hardest to obtain.
The military-inspired vehicle’s considerable power comes from a 4.0-liter V8 producing 416-hp—plenty of gusto, but not as much as offered in the 477-hp G550 or the 630 hp in the outgoing, V12-equipped AMG G65.
Buyers can choose between an eye-popping Jupiter Red, Arabian Gray, or a new Moonlight White base coat paired with black bumpers, fender flares and other lower trim that’s body-matched on stock G550s.
A serialized badge on the front fenders depicting a G-Wagen scaling a steep grade sits below an all-black “V8” badge.
The interior is clad in two-tone Nappa leather upholstery, carbon fiber, and a serialized text on the passenger’s grab handle. Images show some beautiful violet backlighting as well, accenting everything from the machined metal pedals to the upper edge of the dash.
No price was announced for the Edition 550—C&D predicts at least $150,000. But thanks to a tax loophole, some buyers can take a $25,000 deduction in their first year of ownership.
The New York Post reports that the so-called “Hummer Deduction,” Section 179, allows an SUV weighing 6,000 pounds or more to be eligible if the vehicle is used for business at last half the time.
The Section 179 deduction may have originally been intended for farm equipment, but it’s a rare opportunity to save $25,000 off of the G-Class Edition 550’s hefty sticker price.