MERCEDES BENZG 55 AMG (W463) 2006 - 2008

　　Mercedes-Benz upgraded the G 55 AMG in September 2006, offering the well-known SUV with a much more powerful powerplant than the 2004 model year that was produced until August 2006.

　　The G-Class was already a well-known luxury vehicle, even though it was initially designed as an army or a utilitarian vehicle back in 1979. Over the years, the original chassis designation, the W460, was replaced by the W463 for the so-called civilian versions. Even though those were mostly used on paved roads, they were still very capable of tackling serious offroad situations. Customers wanted them to be more luxurious and, most importantly, more potent. As a result, Mercedes-Benz’s in-house tuning company, AMG, hand-crafted unique engines for the G 55. In 2004, these produced 476 PS (469 hp), and starting with September 2006, these supercharged powerplants reached the 500 PS (493 hp) barrier. But these were not the only changes.

　　At the front, the automaker added a few optional tweaks to the car to distinguish it from its less-powered sibling. Besides the classic grille with horizontal slats, Mercedes-Benz offered the option for a two-slat grille that supported the massive three-pointed star badge in the middle. Lower, on the bumper, the automaker installed a set of oval-shaped fog lamps that also doubled as turn signals. Another significant upgrade over its predecessor was the introduction of HID headlights, or Xenon, for the European market.

　　From its profile, the five-door G-Class featured enlarged front wheel arches, and the front fenders sported V8 Kompressor badges on them. The side steps were wide enough to ease customers' ingress and egress to the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz tried to keep up with the market’s trends and installed body-colored door mirrors on the five-door 2006 G-Class SUV, with integrated turn signals. On both sides, under the rear doors’ area, the car manufacturer installed dual exhausts just in front of the rear wheels. That was a unique element for the G 55 AMG.

　　Mercedes-Benz redesigned the interior of the 2004 G-Class from the ground up, and this also applies to the G 55. In front of the driver, the automaker has installed an instrument cluster that looks as if it has been taken from an AMG version of the C-Class (W203). The semi-circular, centrally mounted speedometer had a silver trim decoration in the middle surrounding the amber-colored LCD for the onboard computer. To the left was the rev counter, and to the right was the fuel gauge.

　　Under the hood, AMG installed a new, upgraded version of the 5.5-liter supercharged engine. The automaker paired it with the same five-speed (5G-Tronic) automatic gearbox. As a result, the 2.5-ton (5,401 lbs.) vehicle could sprint from zero to sixty in a mere 5.5 seconds.