The Mercedes-Benz G-Class’s notoriously boxy looks are slightly updated for the 2013 model year, and the venerable Gelandewagen – at least in AMG guise — gains a heart transplant in the form of an available twin-turbo V-8. Mercedes recently posted the first official shots of the car to its consumer website, showing off the madness that is the 2013 G63 AMG.
As we previously reported, the 2013 G63 AMG – the only AMG-tuned G to be sold in North America — is powered by the same engine found under the hood of every other 63-series AMG Mercedes: a twin-turbocharged, 5.5-liter V-8. Here, that engine makes 544 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. The power is sent through the AMG Speedshift Plus 7G Tronic automatic transmission, and a permanent all-wheel drive system with front, center, and rear locking differentials.
The visual updates to the G63 AMG are few, but they are striking: the old car’s thin bumper has been replaced by a massive new design, with three huge cooling apertures designed to feed the cooling system and intercooler. The G63 gets a special new grille with two chrome bars over black mesh, and it features the same LED running lights as the 2013 G550.
On the inside, it’s easy to see the design influence of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, as the G63 has a similarly styled steering wheel, shifter, and gauge cluster. The entire center stack has been revised with a new Comand infotainment system, and the whole package is adorned with carbon fiber trim strips. Fans of the old G-Class’ ruched leather seats may be unhappy to see that design feature go (this new one appears to use perforated leather) but there’s plenty of it on the new G’s door panels.
While Mercedes-Benz hasn’t released finalized pricing, the 2013 G63 AMG will obviously command a hefty investment: the 2012 G55 AMG it replaces costs $124,450, so expect this one to cost upwards of $125,000 when it goes on sale in the U.S. come August.
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