"I could drive it to the moon and back and run over everything on the way,” says Tom Exton about his Brabus Mercedes G500 4x4², also known as the G500 Squared. I don’t doubt it.
In addition to the ‘regular’ Squared’s gains over the standard G500 (more than twice the ground clearance, thanks to the fitment of portal axles, a wider body, deeper wading capability, larger 22in wheels and steeper approach and departure angles), its Brabus-tweaked bi-turbo 4.0-litre petrol V8 produces 493bhp, up from 416bhp.
Not that Tom claims to care much about any of this. Instead, for him, that it can conquer almost any terrain is sufficient reason to own it: “You can drive up and down flights of stairs, through lakes and all sorts of useful stuff – although I’ve yet to experience any of that driving around Wimbledon Common.”
He bought his G-Wagen almost three years ago but, despite its ability to go anywhere, has covered just 1000 miles: “It’s atrocious to drive and not something you want to do long drives in. The steering doesn’t really do anything and you’re never sure where the corners are; you’re just up there guessing. It keeps you on your toes.
"Also, it’s not air-sprung, so it doesn’t waft along. Instead, the suspension is coil-sprung and is horrendous; you feel pretty much every bump. It’s very uncomfortable. There is a Comfort mode and a Sport mode, but I can’t for the life of me detect any difference between them. Both feel awful.”
Tom isn’t exactly selling it, but then suddenly he remembers why he still owns it: “I’ve driven almost everything under the sun and there are very few cars I get in and which make me smile; this does. It’s an experience and makes me smile every time. Of course, not everyone smiles when they see it.
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