We are prepping for another adventure!

We continue to forge ahead with the older brother 2017 GLE 63S Coupe (C292) . So far we have almost 63k Miles on the engine with no mechanical issues anywhere on the vehicle. It's absolutely solid. Solidly engineered and solidly built. We send in the Engine Oil and Transmission Oils for Analysis and all is great, even with the Tranmission not being changed until 55k miles.

After all the on and off road adventures so far, and the race track adventures in the GLE Coupe, we are getting ready for the next offroad challenge! What's new?

20" Genuine Mercedes Alloy Wheels with Pirelli Scorpion ATR 275/50R20 tires.



These Wheels and Tires set up was purchased online directly from https://www.alloywheelsdirect.net with EXCELLENT customer service and top quality balancing on the wheels. They took a few weeks to get from Germany to the US. Total price was over $4k and I only paid $160 in customs fees. Buy it locally and spend at least $3k more with tax. Best deal ever from these guys. They only sell Genuine wheels and tires.

There are only 4 sets of wheels approved by Mercedes for the 2017 GLE 63S Coupe. We couldn't find any wheels on the market with the correct offsets that match this vehicles wider rear stance. We also did not want to use wheel spacers. The selection for three of these wheels is very limited. The fourth setup Mercedes provides for Winter Wheel setup can hold many more types of tires, such as the Pirelli Scorpion ATR which is also used on the current AMG G63 with All Terrain Package.

You can reference the two other wheel and tire sets I have for the GLE Coupe on Instagram at

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With this Winter Wheel setup, the tires are all the same size unlike the other wheel setups, however the Offsets are different still. The rear offset is smaller (pushing the wheel out more), so the Rear Wheels will align to the front wheels because they are of the same size tires, unlike the other rear wheels which provide the much wider stance. These rear tires are about 2" narrower than the stock setup wheels and tires.



I am not used to the look, as it takes away from the AMG design, but imagining the next offroad adventures, it's perfect. I already curbed my car today without scratching my wheel at all. These tires protect quite extensively around the wheel, unlike the 21" and 22" wheels.

Why are these tires important?
Obviosly it is ludicrous to go offroad with the 22" wheels and Conti SportContact 5 tires. We went Snow Offroading successfully with the 21" Scorpion Winter tires (AMAZING TIRES IN SNOW), however during the summer, the CrossContact LX on the 21" wheels is just, ok... Sharp Rocks tore up the sidewalls, and driving with 20PSI and hitting a hidden rock, caused a bubble in one tire.

The Scorpion ATR's are just right for most offroad conditions. Mudding not so much, but everything else, if you know how to offroad, should accomplish anyathing your front end can manage with extra protection on the sidewalls.What about PSI's in the tires?
You probably will never ask yourself, "What PSI should I lower my tires to?" This is why most Range Rovers and BMW SUV's fail offroad. That and that they are not G Wagons... Tire Pressue is quite important to drive offroad and in sand. During the summer time, in the heat, sand gets loser, so expect to get stuck. ALWAYS have your recover gear. Winch, MaxTrax's, Ropes, water, food, and more.

Here are a few photos of the difference in Tire Pressure and Surface Area that will help you gain more traction while offroading. By putting chalk on the tire, and lowering the tire, I was able to measure the surface area based on the PSI. The bigger Surfact Contact, the better for sand and most offroad situations.











As you can see, with the lowest pressure, you get 11.5" in surface length. You get much less with 37 PSI which is 7.5"

BEFORE DRIVING IN SAND, lower your pressure. Don't think you can get stuck, and then lower it. You open yourself up to more issues then.

NOTE! Although the G wagon Owners Manual says don't lower your tires lower than 17.5 PSI, no other Manual states this. 17.5 PSI is the amount of pressure that will SAFELY hold up a GLE Coupe based on the Tires' Index Load Specification, Pressure per tire, and weight of the vehicle and its occupants & luggage. A lot of AMG Academies and Offroading has helped me become a tire expert.

What else is next? A slick tool from LoweryourMercedes

You ask, why would I want to lower my Mercedes for offroading?



Lowering your Mercedes to this level of 7", while offroading will help you rip out your entire exhaust system to make it louder, like a angrier AMG.

Interestingly enough, this Lowering module, also raises the GLE Coupe an additional 1.5". Sounds like a little for $500, however 1.5" on top of the 2" already raised makes a big difference. We have been to some extraordinary locations with the stock raised level, but the additional height will help us feel more comfortable while offroad.

With the raised level, the side steps will have over 13" in clearance. Certain Mercedes models with All Trail / Off Road Packages on the GLE and GLS's have a third level built into the programming that does this automatically, usually called OffRoad 3.




Although the vehicle is higher, I am removing the Brake Air Ducts in the front. Since we will be going in the winter, not racing anyone while we are there, and tired of replacing the brake vanes at $40 a pop for one side, I bought some large zip ties and will put them back on again after we are done offroading.

So Where is Next?

First Trip to Moab, Utah. There are crazy trails only home made jeeps with huge wheels can go. We will opt for the simpler ones of course, but we will be able to go places and see things most people cannot thanks to Mercedes.

After a week in Moab, we will head over to Sedona, Arizona again. Hopefully COVID has whined down a bit and the Navajo Nation opens up so we can explore more of the tribals lands and parks. I'm desperately wanting to take photos at Monument Valley. We couldn't earlier this summer because the trails closed down in the Nation, however we still are hoping it all works out.

So Why not a Toyota LandCruiser or Jeep?

Getting there is part of the journey that we want to enjoy. It's a long 16 hours drive usually from Austin, Texas, but Mercedes makes it enjoyable. We can carry and tow a lot and still have the power to go up the mountains and no issues coming down the mountains. The POWER a Mercedes V8 and especially an AMG provides is second to NONE!! The Brakes of an AMG is AMAZING! Another main reason is, even in the 115F weather in the dessert, my temps don't change at all. The only thing that ever overheated was the compressor for the air suspension when I was buried to the chassis in Sand for a little bit. Not overheating when offroad in the desert is something most vehicles cannot do.

Off we go in the near future on to Moab!