Budget G-Wagen? Japanese Tuner Turns Suzuki Jimny Into Baby G 63

If you’ve got AMG taste on a mini SUV budget, this option may be the perfect solution for you.

We caught wind of a Japanese aftermarket company called DAMD is planning to sell a kit to turn the new Suzuki Jimny into mini G-Wagen via The Drive. However, once we stopped laughing and thought it through, we came to the conclusion that it’s actually a warped piece of genius.

There’s no plan announced for the all-new Suzuki Jimny to come to North America, but we’ve been following the UK press and it’s been very well received. Suzuki’s little off-roader is inexpensive, has a ladder frame, both front and rear solid axles, a low-range transfer case, and already has a reputation for off-roading prowess and durability. It strikes us that there are some much more offensive 4x4s out there to make into a G-Wagen mini-me. Frankly, if we saw one of these on the road we would be more interested in checking it out than mocking it.

Of course, the one thing the G-Wagen mini-me lacks is the qualities we get in the real thing. If you peruse the Suzuki literature and press releases on the little Jimny, one word that comes up a lot is “modest.” That’s certainly something you can’t accuse the G-Wagen of ever being. In fact, you can’t even choose the fabric when you buy a Suzuki Jimny. It’s very much a basic “you-get-what-you-pay-for” vehicle.

For anyone outside America looking at a Jimny and wishing it looked different, the good news is they are planning to offer a Defender kit as well when they go on sale early in 2019. There are no pricing details yet either or if the kits are for the standard Jimny, the longer wheelbase Sierra trim, or both. We can’t wait to see one parked next to a real G-Wagen.

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Ian Wright

Ian Wright has been a professional writer for two years and is a regular contributor to Corvette Forum, Jaguar Forum, and 6SpeedOnline, among other auto sites.

His obsession with cars started young and has left him stranded miles off-road in Land Rovers, being lost far from home in hot hatches, going sideways in rallycross cars, being propelled forward in supercars and, more sensibly, standing in fields staring at classic cars. His first job was as a mechanic and then trained as a driving instructor before going into media production.

The automotive itch never left though, and he realized writing about cars is his true calling. However, that doesn’t stop him from also hosting the Both Hand Drive podcast.

Ian can be reached at bothhanddrive@gmail.com