Our 4×4 World Cup It made it clear that the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is the most capable SUV in the series, but where would the limits be if it is modified? The owner of this G 500 has asked himself the same question, who has decided to go to the people of CapricornTrucks, who have installed some caterpillar wheels to drive on snow in exchange for 140,000 eurosor what is the same, a new Class G 400 d.
And although it is actually somewhat less than what this one costs, the truth is that it is still very similar to the price of the German 4×4 in its diesel variant, which implies an outlay in the Spanish market of 143,861 euros. Be that as it may, what is clear is that the owner of this G was not satisfied, and wanted to go further.
Taking the G-Class further on tracked wheels is possible, but it will cost you dearly
With this modification, the G-Class not only gains in grip to drive through snow, but also in height when declaring 200 millimeters more than standard. And it may be that for some it is an unnecessary modification taking into account the benefits of the off-road with a reduction gear, differential locks and snow tires in good condition, but the Swiss who treasures this unit in the garage disagrees.
And it is that the rubber that covers the caterpillar wheels offer plastic reinforced with carbon fiber, a material capable of resisting up to temperatures of 40º below zero. Of course, they are not light, since the four cause the G-Class fattened a total of 680 kilosalthough this does not prevent it from moving without disdain on snow up to speeds of 65 km/h.
Be that as it may, and for the peace of mind of the most purists, this is neither a permanent nor complex modification to solve, since the caterpillar wheels They are installed on the original hubs of the G-Classso it does not have too much complexity to reinstall conventional wheels.
But of course, for a system like this to not only work well, but also be easy to restore the original configuration is not cheap, and this is demonstrated by the CapricornTrucks invoice. And it is that the caterpillar wheels cost a total of 50,000 euros; the approval has implied a disbursement of 69,000 euros; another 20,000 euros have cost defense, roof box and new summer tires, thus causing the total amounts to the aforementioned 140,000 euros. Of course, the mechanics of the G-Class 500 is intact.
