C240-Merc

Are there not any G Wagan owners out there? It seems like this forum is alway blank.

ClayJ

Not alot of action here, I'm afraid....

YABADI

Used to.

Bora20

they are all here www.benzworld.org

jimmyg

We're here, just recovering from the holidays.

Paganis Zonda

I own one and I love it.

I'm waiting for the 07 to come out, then I might trade mine in for one.

C240-Merc

They are not making any big changes to the 07's are they?

jimmyg

An updated interior and electronics are expected, as well as the adoption of the latest generation of diesel and V8 petrol engines. The change in the AMG model from the 5.5L supercharged V8 to the new 6.3L naturally aspirated AMG engine might be delayed until the 2008 model year. I expect the interior to receive significant improvements as the current components are no longer used in any other Mercedes model.

It's possible there might be some minor exterior changes but I think that is more doubtful.

Bora20

The only possible exterior change I could think of them adding would be HID lighting.

ClayJ

They'll update the lighting, Command, etc as part of the electronics updating. I don't forsee any exterior changes - unless they incorporate crumple zones into the hood/bonnet?
Will the bi-xenons look like one of these?

prometheus

Now why can't we have something like that here in the US? I would almost trade my Dodge for one...almost

ClayJ

I'm sure that we'll get one or three diesel options in the uSA; two in 2007 and hopefully the V8 turbodiesel by 2008...

gup998

The absence of great numbers just makes the Wagen more exclusive.

DUTCH

Crumple zones have been a part of the design since 1979.

ClayJ

Not in the hood itself - new thing for MBZ (and automobiles in general?), and first to be incorporated on the GL; and I don't know which model we'll see them on next. I don't discern them on the new S -- which I had expected....

cyntaxx

Ironic because it has currently been defaced. (Check it out)


I will be in the market for one soon. My price range only allows for a low-mileage 2002 model though - non-AMG too unfortunately.

vraa

ClayJ those lights you posted, aren't those a Brabus mod?

ClayJ

Yes.

And Brabus does the best two-headlamps mod for the USA IMO.

In the other thread a member posted and stated that one of the pics was of his truck, and that he had it done by an independent - and not Brabus.....

But most of the other guys who are doing them I believe, and AMG Manufaktur when they do them, use a single headlamp unit, with the electronics and lamps to allow bi-xenons in the US, and low-beam only xenons in the EU (I'm pretty sure that that's the way it works in the EU countries - that high-beam xenons are illegal).

Ted Baldwin

...........the middle picture is my car and the headlights are not from Brabus. They are from art tuning. They supply the headlights to multiple tuners including brabus. Mine was directly imported from art tuning and installed by an idependent shop in USA. Here is a link to art tuning.LINK . The way it works is that you cannot run your bixenons and fog lights at the same time. You can run either single xenon and fog lights or bixenons and no fog lights. If you don't want to use the double headlight system as pictured, you can simply instal a single H4 xenon kit and you will loose your hi beams. There is non bi-xenon possibility in this method.

Ted

ClayJ

Thanks Ted - I was drawing a blank on both your name and that of ART Tuning (too many head injuries...SOS), and I was hoping that you'd jump on here and clarify that for everyone....

Germancar1

Those are not crumple zones they're just styling bulges. The hood itself is a part of the crumple zone as it has been on an every Mercedes for over 50 years. Those bulges are for styling purposes only!

M

ClayJ

Is it you, Germancar1, that keeps popping up with this every now and then whenever I mention this? Or is it someone else? And in another thread, or threads, entirely?

I remember MBZ making a big deal about how they were now going to be incorporating crumple zones into the hoods of their cars for PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS WHO WOULD MAKE IMPACTS ONTO THE HOOD in a collision - and that this was a new technology that they had just developed, and that they were very proud of the fact that this would not only help them meet the new EU regulations in this area, but that it was once again MBZ out there in the forefront with safety....

Is this so difficult to comprehend? Am I just not stating it clearly enough? They have certainly NOT been doing THIS for 50 years(!)

Or am I indeed hallucinating, or going insane?!!! 'Cause everytime you - or this other person - pops up with this I am sure that I am!!!

I am going to drop this, and NEVER mention it again. I promise!

Germancar1

Well this is the first time I've commented or seen anyone say that those bulges are "crumple zones". I'm fully aware of European pedestrian safety standards. Secondly, again those bulges ARE NOT crumple zone and they have nothing to do with these regulation. The new S-Class incorporates the same technolgy and you see no humps on the hood. The regulations are met by placing more space between the hardest point of the engine and the hood itself. The S-Class, like the GL has a raised hood and/or lowered engine to achieve this. Those bulges are purely cosmetic, otherwise you'd see them on the S-Class too, a car we know has to pass the regulations also. The hood itself is placed higher up than it would be if there were no regulations to pass. You can look at cars like the new Volvo S80 and see that the hood is swollen in order to pass the regulations. The new S and GL are no different, as is the R-Class (no bulges on the R either). No you aren't insane, just misinformed.

When you stated "crumple zone" you didn't say anything about the NEW regulations put forth, thats why I (and likely others) have said that this is nothing new from Mercedes.

No if you have something that specifically says that those bulges are part of some type of safey system I'd be more than happy to read it.

M

v8plus4

You are correct, sir. These two "humps" are indeed for styling purposes. They debuted on the SLK230 R170 in 1998, and were also featured on the W163 ML55 and later W163 special edition ML350s and ML500s. IIRC, they were referred to by the factory as "Power Domes" or "Power Bulges" back in the day.

JD

merc655

is it just me or does the new G just not have the same effect, road presence, or all around badness that the current G does? I mean, you can't mistake a Gwagen on the road IMO for anything else and the fact that it doesn't try to be stylish, aerodynamic, or polite is one of the main reasons that the G55 and G500s are so successful here, and the fact that they are built like a tank.

About the crumple zones, I have been aware of these new safety regulations for a while now but why would they need to place humps in the hood of the G and not in the R or the S? You would think that it would be as easy as raising the entire hood assembly a few inches rather than only a few sections for pedestrian safety. I do think that it is a style detail that isn't too great but still there just for that reason, style. Unless MB has some great reason for putting this on the new G as a pedestrian safety device, I think it should be taken off because it just does not let the hood flow like it should as far as body lines go. .02

oh, and about the G wagen owners... i dont know what it is but I guess its just not the same as the other vehicles as far as owner activity on the boards.
But I do have a Designo Graphite G55 and wow do I love it..