The Mercedes Benz G Class

Back in the seventies, the Shah of Iran suggested to Mercedes that it might be a nice if it built an SUV. MB promptly hopped into bed with Austrian military vehicle manufacturer, Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and started creating the "Geländewagen" (German for cross-country vehicle) for civilian and military use.
A development program rumbled through most of the seventies, including excursions to German coalfields, the Sahara desert, and the Arctic Circle. And Steyr-Daimler-Puch began hand-building the G in the same Graz factory they're made in today, ready for its 1979 launch. 


The first major refinements came in 1981 and included an auto box and air conditioning; a year later it got comfier front seats lifted from Benz's car line-up, auxiliary heating and wider tyres. Having generated some column inches with a Paris-Dakar rally win in ‘83, MB kept piling in the kit; by '87 it was fitting the G with electric windows, a power antenna and luggage covers.
In 1989 it got its first full pimp out to celebrate the G's tenth anniversary, in came permanent four-wheel drive, wood trim, ABS, a top-spec interior and three electronically-locking differentials. 

But in 2004, everything changed. The post '90 Gs were definitely luxurious, but they weren't quick, and its esoteric customer base started noticing. Mercedes' solution was simple - hand it over to in-house tuners, AMG. Subsequently, its squeezed in a 5.4-litre supercharged V8, 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 and now there's the latest offering - a 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12, which produces 612hp and 737lb ft. 
A further colour screen sits in the middle of the dash, incorporating a DVD player and the COMAND system, all standard on G-Class models, including a sat nav with "off-road" functions. 


Mercedes has just revealed details of its revised G-Class - that ageing, iconic off-roader and the sad headline news is that the UK will have to survive without the twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 version, which uses the same 621bhp engine found in the new SL65.
Also available on launch is the G350 BlueTEC - a 3.0-litre V6 diesel with 211bhp and 400lb ft of torque, capable of returning 25.2mpg and 295g/km of CO2, if that sort of thing excites you. Both engines will get the seven-speed 7G-Tronic auto ‘box as standard.

However, the UK will receive the new G63 AMG, a V8 monster featuring the company's new twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 currently being rolled out across the AMG range. That means 544bhp - 37bhp more than the old G55 - and 560 torques. No word on performance, but a 0-62mph time somewhere in the low fives would be a good guess. Oh, and it comes with start/stop too.

The new G has also been treated to a host of interior upgrades, too. The centre console and instrument panel have been completely designed, and you'll find a new TFT display sandwiched between the two dials. New daytime LED running lights and new exterior mirrors for all models, while the AMGs get a new grille with double louvres, new bumpers, larger air intakes, 20in wheels and red brake calipers.

Cool Pics

Check out some cool pics on my tumblr site: http://julesgwhite.tumblr.com

Pimp That Tank

This vehicle started life as a Russian “BRDM”, translated literally means “Combat Reconnaissance Patrol Vehicle”, an armored scout car made in Russia.
There were plenty of these vehicles in Arabic countries like Iraq or Iran and Syria.
But this is no regular military vehicle. It was bought by a Moscow entrepreneur and then heavily pimped "Russian style".

An amphibian vehicle powered by a 5.5 ltr V8 diesel engine with four wheels and four more smaller wheels that can be lowered at the push of a button should the terrain become rough. It has of course a multi speaker sound system, GPS navigation, TV, DVD and a periscope to see clearly what’s going on when you are swimming across the nearest lake and sonar to navigate underwater. Oh night vision system has also been installed for those dark night drives.

The car is fully registred and road legal so the owner can drive across the normal roads, then go to the lake for some fishing or water skiing, and then visit a Moscow casino on the way home.

Pedal Power

Check out this children’s pedal car “Moskvich”, made in the USSR by the State Standard. It was firstly manufactured in 1989 and totally restored in 2011 in accordance with the original model. Now the car works silently and wheels rotate smoothly. All old and idle parts (lights, bumpers, suspension, etc.) are replaced by new ones.

The GL-1

The GL-1 was the first Soviet factory sportscar ever produced, which set speed records before the World War. Unfortunately all the copies of the car and its records were destroyed, and until recently the automobile existed only in archive photos.

The project GL-1 was built in 1938 from a serial model GAZ M-1. An open two seater body was put onto the standard frame along with most of the parts of the M-1, but the total weight was reduced. The “M” engine was forced, the valve diameter was widened and the machine gained 15 horsepower to a whopping 65 horses. A test driver from the GAZ factory recorded 147 km/hr runs out of this car.

The second generation GL-1 was introduced in 1940 with a 3.2 ltr engine and two carburettors. The power was raised to 100 horsepower. Externally a more steamline cabin was designed. The new version was much faster and the new top speed record was set at 161.84 km/hr, which at that time seemed a triumph.

In 1941 the work on the third generation started, unfortunately very soon the country would cease to care about speed records and all the prototypes and road variants were destroyed and most likely melted.

In 2006 Alexander Bushuyev’s body manufacturer decided to reconstruct the legendary car, basing it on an original GAZ M-1 chassis and the numerous pictures of that time.

This beauty is what he came up with.....