This luxury SUV could be the last of its kind as we move to electric vehicles

Edit: We originally published this story in early March, and as the motoring world looks at what the future will bring post-pandemic, it’s clear that we’ll be moving more towards electric vehicles so this could mean the last of the petrol engine G63s.

Matt’s story of getting to own a G63, as a result of his hard work in his businesses, is one we wanted him to tell. He wasn’t so keen to tell it. As a child he had big dreams on exotic cars and now he has the chance to own them. We want him to inspire other young and big kids what’s possible.

In December last year, an Edition One Mercedes-AMG G63 made its way into my garage at Parihoa (and it’s the star of the video on the home page of AutoMuse). But how it arrived here is a long story – with a twist.

I first became obsessed with the G63 when Liz bought it to the farm in December 2018. It was an Edition One press vehicle that was on loan to Mercedes-Benz New Zealand for a few years to be displayed at dealerships nationwide and for special events.

Liz had the first national review of the G63 due to her previous role as NZME’s Driven editor at large. She knew that Parihoa would be ideal to shoot the iconic SUV, known also as the G-wagen, as it would be a fitting vehicle for such a house.

I fell instantly in love with the G63 as it came down my driveway to the house and I didn’t want her to take the SUV back. But Liz warned me that if I wanted one I needed to get my order in before her Driven cover story went out in the next few days as the then one year wait list would explode after her article.

The problem is: I felt guilty ordering another car, I am not good at waiting for cars and I didn’t put my order in. The article went out. The wait list nearly doubled.

But with laser G63-sighting eyes, I kept seeing new ones as they arrived in New Zealand and were on our roads.

I sighed and kept on, via Liz, chasing futile leads that there might be one available. There wasn’t.

I even tried to convince the then general manager of Mercedes-Benz New Zealand, Ben Giffin, to sell me the Edition One G63 that had been at my farm. No go. It had to be returned to Germany.

I faced a long wait. That’s if I ordered one.

Perhaps my 2014 Range Roger Vogue was fine? But on a Friday in December 2019, I crumbled, after another G63 sighting, decided it was time and that life is too short. I knew I probably wouldn’t get my car in 2020 but so as long as the deposit was refundable, I would place an order.

Ben was not longer at MB head office and instead was dealer principal at Mercedes-Benz Botany Downs, so with Liz and my manager, Paul, we visited him.

There were no new Edition Ones for sale so we specced a matte black with fairly high options. I grumbled though this hedonistic exercise as its really not me. But I wanted the one Liz had tested, with the red seats and red specs through the wheels and mirrors. Ben said it wasn’t possible.

I felt a bit ill speccing and my concentration levels dropped quickly. My gut said I would never see through this car.

But with the deposit paid, I put to the back of my mind.

Until 3pm that day.

I was back at Parihoa on conference calls to my office in Singapore when Ben rang.

“Matt you won’t believe this but a customer may sell his G63. It’s an Edition One. You will have to act quick”.

I didn’t even ask the price and said yes. Ben said no guarantees that the customer would sell but the G63 owner was coming into the Botany Downs dealership.

An hour later, another call from Ben.

“We bought it from the customer. Matt the car is yours if you want it.”

There was never any doubt I’d get it that day, instead of waiting until Saturday morning.

Despite warnings that Friday afternoon traffic would be dire, and that Liz and I would never make it to the dealership by 6pm closing, we arrived with 15 minutes to spare.

And there, sitting in the middle of the dealership, was the ultimate G63, the clone of the one that had visited my farm.

It was mine, and it was hard to comprehend.

I returned on Monday to collect it.  Still shell shocked, I drove it back to my farm Parihoa, at Muriwai and left it in the garage for a few days, feeling too guilty to drive it. And when I finally did I was pleasantly surprised.

Since then I’ve have put 4000km on the clock, mainly driving to and from the city and airport. I need to do more adventurous driving when time permits. But there are some good twisty roads in my area so the car’s capabilities have been well tested. 

It’s also great for taking on the southern most part of my farm, and despite ruts in the paddocks, I don’t need to engage four-wheel-drive, instead the G63 just rumbles over the tough conditions.

I like the ride height as it sits higher than my Range Rover and the wide tyres on 22in rims give it a nice feel ride.

Design-size it’s not as edgy as the Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne or Audi SQ8, but it sure footed and the engine is a firecracker. It puts a smile on my face often while 430kW of power from the 6.3-litre V8 engine is enough.

For the full aural experience, I drop the windows and open the sunroof, switch to dynamic mode and electronically open the exhaust flaps. The noise is amazing.

I initially found the Mercedes-Benz switchgear via a stork by the steering wheel complicated. However I now like it and find everything logical.  It doesn’t have the latest MBUX system so the rotary controller is there to operate functions, but most are easily done from the steering wheel. 

I like the clarity of the infotainment screen and I love the Burmeister sound system.  The massage seats are arguably best on the market. Certainly better than those in my Bentley Continental GT coupe, which I spend a lot of time in (note: before lockdown).

Everything is high quality. The doors shut with a loud clunk. The two-tone grey and red leather seats in the Edition One look fabulous and the red seat belts set it off beautifully. 

Mine even has the full body wrap over the matte black paint, thanks to the previous owner at an $8000 cost. Sometimes I want to quieten the V8 engine.  That’s when I drive my Range Rover V8 supercharged. 

But know no one drives a G63 for refinement.  And I can even forgive the higher wind noise due to the boxy shape. 

Recently Liz and I had the Mercedes-Benz EQC electric vehicle at the farm.  It was an impressive car. Taking the midpoint between the G63 and EQC you see the conundrum we are moving to in the motoring industry and perhaps my garage. 

The G63 is perhaps the last of its type. I predict – and rightfully so – that the environment needs far more care with emissions and Covid-19 has shown the world needs to make big decisions. We need to go electric and green quickly .

Perhaps, in the future, the G63 will spend more time, like it has done in the past two months, looking beautiful in the garage. But when I do get back in it, shortly, perhaps for a Sunday drive, it will sure put a big smile on my face, and reminds me why I work hard!

Images: Hamish Pattison