"That," Peter Schoren is "pretty sure, is the last of its kind". The sales manager for the Mercedes G-Class stands in front of a Mercedes-AMG G 63 4x4 hoch2 painted matt red and tries to get his guests safely behind the wheel. 351 millimeters of ground clearance and thus ten centimeters more than the normal G 63, 22-inch wheels in the expansive wheel arches, portal axles - you feel like you're heaving yourself up into the driver's cab of a shovel excavator.

Arriving safely in the driver's seat, however, the view of the familiar opens up. A wide, digital display for combination displays and with a touchscreen for multimedia and vehicle functions, a steering wheel covered with non-slip microfibre and flattened at the bottom, selector lever for the automatic transmission on the steering column, comfortable seats with leather covers, optionally with a massage function and side bolsters that provide active support when cornering - just the normal luxury of the G-Class. Including the doors, which you have to slam shut with a lot of bang so that they are tight even when driving through water. So you are enthroned much higher than in the G-Class.

A push of the starter button - and the eight-cylinder under the hood comes to life with a dull rumble. Listen carefully - because that's not only quite, but definitely the last of its kind. At AMG, too, the time of the eighth is over - an average consumption of 20.1 liters per 100 kilometers and CO2 emissions of 456 g/km no longer contemporary. In the future, six instead of eight cylinders will also drive the powerhouses in the G-Class. With even more horsepower, but less fuel consumption. So let the sound and the vibrations of the V8 once again have an enjoyable effect on you.

The occupied and packed around 3.5 ton colossus starts moving as gently as an A-Class. The four-liter biturbo V8 delivers a whopping 585 hp / 430 kW and delivers a maximum of 850 Newton meters of torque to all four wheels, distributed 40 percent to the front and 60 percent to the rear. Sensitively dosed with the accelerator pedal, you commute into a parking bay - as long as it is large enough. With a length of 4,949 mm, a width of 2,287 mm and a height of 2,255 mm, the Über-G-Class is not intended for narrow streets like in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

But - in addition to paved roads - for the sometimes rugged terrain. The increased ground clearance, its wading depth of 910 mm and a climbing ability of 45 degrees, plus the ladder frame and a chassis trimmed to be particularly robust, which treats each wheel to two spring and damper units plus the portal axles, which ensure that the wheels do not move at the level of the center of the axle, but much further down - hard to believe where the 4x4 x2 fights up, down and through everywhere. There are also differential locks that can be switched at the push of a button. A few more off-road figures: Departure angle 41.3 degrees at the front, 36.8 degrees at the rear, ramp angle 43.4 degrees, climbing ability 100 percent. air suspension? It doesn't need to, that would only shorten the suspension travel unnecessarily, says Schoren from the passenger seat.

But there are plenty of electronic helpers for the terrain on the central display. A camera down that shows how the gravel continues in front of the hood that has been made "transparent" when all you can see after a steep climb is sky. Displays for lean angle, accelerator and brake use, and, and, and. The exact geo-coordinates are displayed so that you don't get lost in the endless wilderness of southern France.

It's not just the sheer size that makes it conspicuous on the outside. A roof rack that can be climbed on by a ladder at the rear, together with a strip with high-beam headlights at the front, add one more height, plus the front apron in the classic AMG look, the side pipes, the running boards, a full-fledged spare tire attached to the outside of the rear - a normal double garage is enough Not. To ensure that the heavy spare wheel and bracket can withstand the off-road forces, the engineers have specially strengthened the C-pillar.

The Mercedes-AMG G 63 4x4 hoch2 comes as a special model limited to two years of production and is practically sold out already. It can be transformed into a one-off via die G Manufaktur. There are 40 paint finishes to choose from and numerous other customization options. Mercedes studiously ignores the question of prices. However, Peter Schoren doesn't even flinch when you throw 300,000 euros into the conversation.