Mercedes-AMG has treated us to a vast number of G-Class flavors over the years, including V12 bi-turbo, supercharged, and even 6x6. Manual gearbox didn’t make the list, however, and someone decided to address that problem.
The source car is a 2002 G500 model with a six-liter LS2 V8 transplant under the hood. Both the engine and the six-speed manual transmission stem from a slightly more recent Cadillac CTS-V. Remarkably enough, the G-Wagon retains a fully operational AWD system with three differentials despite all the mods. It hits the wheels with 406 PS (400 hp / 298 kW) and 535 Nm (395 lb-ft) of torque.
Exterior novelty boils down to shiny AMG wheels, while inside, the instrument cluster is removed and an Android smartphone takes its place with the Torque Pro app displaying the gauges.
The unique off-roader is up for grabs in Minnesota right now. It is a far cry from new with over 350,000 km (220,000 miles) on the G-Class chassis prior to the build and over 277,000 km (172,000 miles) on the CTS-V components. Perhaps this is why the bidding has barely reached $19,000 one day before the end of the auction.