This Special Edition Mercedes G-Class Has A Very Silly Name

Remember a few years ago, there was a special edition BMW 7 Series that was inexplicably called the 7 Series THE NEXT 100 YEARS? Well, it seems Beemer’s traditional rivals from Stuttgart have been taking notes on how to give limited edition cars utterly daft names: meet the Mercedes G-Class STRONGER THAN THE 1980s. Yes, that’s really what it’s called, capitals and all.

Tempting as it is to mercilessly mock this thing for its unequivocally silly name, we really can’t, because that aside, it’s incredibly cool. It’s a tribute to the original G-Wagen, which went on sale in 1979, which, as you’ll doubtless know, was just before THE 1980s. In fact, it’s essentially a limited-production version of the 500,000th G-Class ever, which was built as a one-off back in 2023 with a very similar spec.

As such, it borrows its two paint choices from THE COLOUR PALETTE OF THE 1980s: Agave Green or Colorado Beige. To add to its ’80s-inspired look, the G’s indicator lights, sat in their traditional spot on the corners of the bonnet, have orange rather than clear lenses, and the wheel arches, radiator grille and its surround, and the mirror caps are finished in black to echo the original’s unpainted plastic parts.

It sits on a set of new five-spoke wheels, again inspired by those on the ’80s G, and Merc has even revived its period-correct three-pointed star badge for the front and Mercedes-Benz lettering for the tailgate.

To finish off the exterior makeover, Mercedes has thrown plenty of bits from the off-road biased Professional Line G-Class at the STRONGER THAN THE 1980s, including mud flaps, protective headlight grilles, and an optional luggage rack.

The interior has had an equally excellent makeover, with the modern-day G’s swathes of leather replaced by seats with chequered grey fabric inserts. There are sill panels featuring the topography of the Schöckl mountain in the Austrian Alps, where every generation of the G has been put through its paces over the years. Just to remind you that you’ve bought a car with a ridiculous name, the big passenger grab handle features a STRONGER THAN THE 1980s inscription.

You can get the STT1980s with a choice of turbocharged straight-six engines – either a 443bhp, 3.0-litre petrol G500 or a 362bhp, 2.9-litre diesel G450d. Just 450 are going to be made, and it’s available to order now starting at £152,815.