Of all the cars on the road today, there is perhaps no vehicle more associated with Los Angeles than the Mercedes-Benz G-Class – that tall, boxy safe of an SUV that doesn’t have really changed shape or size since it was first released by Mercedes-Benz in 1979 as the Geländewagen. The first Gs were made for trades, emergency services and the military, and Mercedes-Benz likes to tout the fact that more than 80 percent of the Gs ever made are still available on and off the road.
This versatile, go-anywhere vehicle has, over the years, had a shine or two – and what’s in the 45-year-old spotlight hasn’t. But, at Los Angeles’ Franklin Canyon Park, above Beverly Hills, on Tuesday, April 23, Mercedes-Benz introduced its latest iteration, one that kept G-Wagen fanatics in suspense: the G 580 with EQ technology , the first all-electric G-Class model.
Selma Blair (left) and Kendall Jenner at the Mercedes-Benz launch event.
Mercedes-Benz
In front of a star-studded audience including Bradley Cooper, Kendall Jenner, Tracee Ellis Ross, Selma Blair, Ciara, BeefJoseph Lee, Madelaine Petsch, Trevor Noah, Travis Bennett and Saweetie — Travis Scott performed on the new G 580 on a floating stage in the middle of the lake in Franklin Canyon Park. The party was over-the-top, and one party planning expert estimated that the price of the event, including appearance fees, was between $15 million and $20 million. The car was simultaneously unveiled at the Auto China 2024 show in Beijing.
When asked why the G-Wagen still remains a perennial favorite among Hollywood actors – with a long wait time to acquire one at the dealership – Michael Schiebe, CEO of Mercedes-AMG and head of Mercedes business- Benz G-Class and Mercedes-Maybach. Units indicated The Hollywood Reporter in an exclusive interview: “I think it’s because of the DNA of the G-Wagen: it’s a very versatile car and it’s still so special. Although we have improved the car to adapt to the times, the G-Wagen has a character so different from what you find on the market, there is nothing like the G-Wagen and that makes it so special.
The new all-electric G 580 at its world premiere in Los Angeles on April 23.
Mercedes-Benz
Schiebe jokingly added: “When I said the car was designed for professionals in the emergency services, trades and the military… today the G-Wagen is still aimed at professionals, but now this are singers and actors. »
Tracee Ellis Ross at the Los Angeles launch of the new Mercedes-Benz G 580.
Mercedes-Benz
For the first-ever fully electric G-Class, Schiebe explained that “there have been no significant changes in…
