Leave it to Mercedes-Maybach to come up with something like this. Ostentatious doesn’t even begin to describe the marriage of excess off-road capability with luxury. Meet the Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet. Think of it as a G-Wagon mixed with a Maybach S-Class. In fact, that’s an extremely accurate description, seeing as the rear seats on this convertible beast are lifted from the Maybach S600. Oh, and its 6.0-liter V-12 is present, too.

Yes, extreme excess is the theme of this monster. It’s basically built to accommodate four occupants – two in great comfort, and two in spectacular comfort. You can guess which seats provide what. The G 650 Landaulet rides on a stretched wheelbase of the “standard” G500 4x4², with an extra 22.75 inches between the wheels. The extra length, combined with the rear captain’s chairs placed nearly over the rear axle, creates a huge amount of legroom. It’s enough space to fully recline the calf leather-covered seats.

Of course, the G 650 Landaulet doesn’t lose any off-road capability from the G500 4x4². It comes with the same portal axles, underbody skid plating, three locking differentials, 4WD High and Low ranges, and enough ground clearance to put a mil-spec Humvee to shame.

The G 650 Landaulet is motivated by the 630 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque pumped out by the 6.0-liter biturbo V-12 and managed by Mercedes’ seven-speed automatic transmission. Surprisingly, the G 650 Landaulet manages double-digit fuel economy, with Mercedes estimating 13.8 mpg combined. Then again, anyone willing to write a six-figure check for the G 650 Landaulet isn’t worried about fuel economy.

Updated 03/13/0217: We added a series of new images taken during the car's official debut in Geneva. Check the "Pictures" tab to see how great this car looks in white.

Continue reading about the 2017 Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet

Exterior

Intimidating ‘uge, the G 650 Landaulet is certainly an exercise in opulence, even from the outside. This Mercedes-Maybach creation carries much of the aesthetics from the G500 4x4², which is a lifted version of the standard G-Wagen. Those familiar with Mercedes G-Wagen history will also know the G500 4x4² is the shorter version of the even-more-outrageous G63 AMG 6x6, the triple-axle truck Mercedes introduced for the 2015 model year.

The G 650 Landaulet takes that theme and morphs it into a four-door convertible, similar to the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Unlike the Wrangler Unlimited, the G 650 Landaulet benefits from a power-operated top. There’s no work involved with this convertible SUV. Sadly, the front row is confined under a fixed roof panel, making this a true Landaulet top.

Time out for a history lesson: The Landaulet is a type of convertible top that covers only the rear passengers, while the front row is housed under a fixed roof, as it would in a standard sedan. Landaulet-equipped cars became a hot choice for public figures during the early 20th century and ended with the assassination of JFK. The Landaulet top is not to be confused with the Landau top, which is a tacky disgrace of form murdering function in cold blood before killing itself out of self-loathing. That self-loathing is generated out of the hideous nature that the Landau top became known for in American car culture during the 1970s and 80s.

The Landau top is basically a padded, cloth covering fitted over the existing roof of a coupe or sedan. Prime examples include your grandfather’s Lincoln Town Car, your aunt’s Cadillac DeVille, both from the late 1990s. Today, no automaker even offers a Landau top option, though some aftermarket companies still keep this terrible fad from going extinct. Again, don’t confuse the terrible landau top for the terribly awesome Landaulet-equipped G 650 from Mercedes-Maybach.

Beyond the top, the G 650 Landaulet rides on a longer wheelbase than the standard G500 4x4². This likely gives it a better on-road feel, but also helps even out the proportions of the tall-and-stubby G500 4x4². The G 650 Landaulet comes equipped with power-folding side steps, helping dignitaries look more dignified when entering the cabin. Ground clearance is listed at 17.7 inches, making it a rather hefty climb otherwise.

Around back, the G 650 Landaulet carries the same aesthetics as the G500 4x4² - at least from the beltline down. It even has the awkward chrome bumper hanging down. It’s assumed the bumper helps guard against lesser vehicles from submarining under the G 650’s rear bumper. Then there’s the full-size spare tire hanging behind the tailgate. A swing-away tire carrier supports its weight and allows the fold-down tailgate to operate independently.

Mercedes-Maybach didn’t skimp on the details, either. The G 650 Landaulet sports those side pipes with dual tips on each side. Not only do they look cool, but fill the cabin with the wonderful sounds of twin-turbocharged V-12 thunder. The fender flairs are carbon fiber, as are the side moldings. The 325/55-series all-terrain tires dwarf massive 22-inch AMG-style wheels. The wheels have the “Landaulet” badging etched into the flange for posterity, as well. And Mercedes sure didn’t forget the V-12 Biturbo badge on the front fender, either.

Interior

As interesting as the G 650 Landaulet is from the outside, the best is reserved for those inside. The usual Maybach touches are all present, including quilted and two-tone leather with contrast stitching. There’s carbon fiber trim throughout, and each switch and control is crafted from metal.

The front seats offer much of the same experience as the G500 4x4², only with nicer materials. The gauge cluster, center stack, and console are all familiar. There’s not much news up here. It’s a different story behind the B-pillars. The Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet features a full partition between the front and rear seats. A solid plate of glass keeps the interior airy, even with the top in place. When privacy is wanted, a simple button push turns the clear glass opaque, creating privacy for those in back. This isn’t the fist time this technology has been used in a vehicle, but it’s very likely a first for a production SUV.

The pair enjoying the rear seats’ amenities will find heated, cooled, and massaging seats, capable of reclining backward with a power-operated footrest. A heated and cooled cup holder, airline-style tray tables that fold front the center armrest, and two, 10-inch touch screens that operate independently. It can go without saying the rear compartment enjoys its own HVAC controls and access to the premium audio system.

Mercedes-Maybach also gives its customers plenty of choice when it comes to interior color. Four trim colors are available, with three choices for the fabric Landaulet top. Four exterior paint colors options are present, too.

Drivetrain

What’s opulent luxury without omnipotent power? Nothing. Thankfully Mercedes knew this going in, choosing to forego the 416-horsepower, 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 found in the G500 4x4². Instead, the S600 Maybach’s 6.0-liter biturbo V-12 was shoehorned under the G-Wagen’s hood. Mercedes knew it fit though, as the big engine is available in the Mercedes-AMG G65.

Nothing. Thankfully Mercedes knew this going in, choosing to forego the 416-horsepower, 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 found in the G500 4x4².|align=center|>

In this application, The twin-turbocharged V-12 kicks out a whopping 630 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of toque. That mountainous power is routed though the G-Wagen’s seven-speed automatic transmission and onto its full-time 4WD system with Low range. At full tilt, the G 650 Landaulet should hit 60 mph in a few ticks over five seconds. That’s darn impressive considering its size and unashamedly off-road-biased running gear.

Speaking of the running gear, the G 650 Landaulet uses the same suspension and axles as the G500 4x4². That means it gets the same portal axles, dual shocks at each corner, and high-performance brakes. Hard-core off-roaders will know portal axles afford an insane amount of ground clearance. They are designed with the axle shaft mating to a gear hub Nothing. the center point of the wheel. This hub assembly then uses more gears to direct power downward, then into the wheel hub. Essentially, this allow the axles to ride higher than the center point of the wheels, giving far more ground clearance than conventional systems.

And like all other G-Wagens, the G 650 Landaulet comes equipped with three locking differentials: the front differential, the rear differential, and the center differential, otherwise known as the transfer case. With all three locked, power is evenly distributed to all four wheels, all the time.

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Mercedes-Maybach has not released pricing for the 2017 G 650 Landaulet. Obviously it will be laughably expensive, especially considering only 99 examples will be built. Considering Mercedes charges $256,200 for the G500 4x4², we’d expect the Maybach version to start around $350,000 to $500,000. Needless to say, don’t expect to see one parked at your neighborhood Whole Foods unless you live in Beverly Hills or Dubai.

Pricing

Well, Mercedes has essentially created an entirely new market with its lifted and portal axle-equipped G-Wagens, so its nearly impossible to line up a legitimate competitors. So in this case, we’ll just compare the different variants of the G-Wagen.

Mercedes-AMG G500 4x4²

The G500 4x4² is basically the Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet without the stretched wheelbase, über luxurious interior, and V-12 engine. Both share the same portal axles, tall ground clearance, and exterior shape (minus the differences out back).

The G500 4x4² is a bit more utilitarian, if you can call it that, thanks to its more manageable wheelbase, standard SUV-like cabin, and somewhat more understated 4.0-liter biturbo V-8. What’s more, Mercedes hasn’t put a limit on how many it will build. That means anybody in the U.S. and around the world with $250,000+ can write a check and take delivery.

Read our full review on the Mercedes-AMG G500 4x4² here.

Mercedes-AMG G63 6x6

It’s hard to believe the G63 6x6 has been around since 2013, though Mercedes halted production of this six-wheeled wonder in early 2015. This beast is also the originator of Mercedes’ obsession with portal axles on its G-Wagen, and is the father to both the G500 4x4² and G 650 Landaulet.

The 6x6 is based on the standard G-Wagen, but gets a sizable increase in frame length to accommodate the rear-most axle. A truck bed is added and the cab closed off behind the second row seats. A chrome roll bar helps fortify the 6x6’s masculine appearance, too.

The 6x6 came powered by Mercedes’ 5.5-liter biturbo V-8, which made 536 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque. The same seven-speed automatic and full-time 4WD system as in the newer models underpinned the 6x6.

Read our full review on the Mercedes-AMG G63 6x6 here.

Conclusion

Mercedes keeps upping the ante with its G-Wagen. It makes sense though, as these models sell rather well while paying tribute to the current G-Wagen’s last few years. Mercedes is deep into preparing its next-generation G-Wagen. It’s rumored to be wider and more comfortable inside, while still maintaining a high level of off-road capabilities. It’s yet to be seen if Mercedes will continue the G500 4x4² or G 650 Landaulet into the next generation, but considering the amount of press and attention these models bring, it would be a dumb decision not to.

So, what do you think? If you had the cash, would you get the G 650 Landaulet? Is the idea worthy of the Mercedes-Maybach name? Would you really want a convertible off-roader that couldn’t be hosed out like a Jeep Wrangler? Let us know in the comments below.