The crossover frenzy has forced mainstream car manufacturers to launch such models and several luxury and exotic brands. Thus, be it Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, or Bentley, they all have crossovers in their portfolios. Rumors point to McLaren and Bugatti joining the high-riding frenzy, too, but for now, they are in the minority.
I'm not a fan of traditional crossovers and never have been, though there's something quite appealing about that new BMW X5 (M). A nice squared Mercedes G-Wagen, be it the normal Benz or the more agile (for a heavy brick-shaped vehicle), would also be my cup of tea, but since you have to be loaded to afford a G-Class/G 63, I'll stick to traditional sedans for now.
Mind you, I won't be judging anyone for favoring crossovers over regular passenger cars, so if you're going to make this step (if you haven't already), then make sure you opt for something with a four-wheel drive system and a body-on-frame chassis that can truly conquer the outdoors. Throw in a lift kit, fat rubbers around a set of steel wheels, a snorkel, auxiliary lights, and maybe an exoskeleton, and you will immediately stand out in a sea of crossovers and SUVs for all the right reasons.
The market is vaster than ever, and you're always a few mouse clicks (or screen taps) away from such rides and from various tuners that would gladly take your money in return for giving you an off-road-ready ride. But what if you want to go the extra mile? What could you possibly get that's better than a 4x4 (or 6x6, depending on the case) and is capable of taking you and some of your close ones to the end of the world and back?
Well, the market is not that vast when it comes to these rides, and one of the best-known is the Unimog. This beastly Mercedes truck has been around since the late '40s, and over the last few decades, it has evolved into a superior machine for which no hill is too steep and no swamp too deep. Unimogs are being used for military purposes, and they're also a common sight at various construction sites worldwide.
They're also snowplows, ambulances, fire trucks, and so on, and to a select few, fun weekend rides capable of coping with almost everything Mother Nature can throw at them. Several celebrities have been fans of this model over the years, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was filmed several times behind the wheel of his modded Unimog smoking cigars. You, too, can be like the Hollywood actor and ex-California governor and roll in a Unimog of your own, and you'll certainly have this writer's admiration if you do.
There is a downside to this, and that's the eye-watering price tags accompanying Mercedes Unimogs. Even an old and beat-up example can set you back a small fortune, and if you want a new one, you will pay more than a couple hundred thousand dollars. The pictured Unimog has only the delivery miles under its belt and a torquey 5.2L diesel engine under the hood, which makes 228 hp (231 ps/170 kW) and 664 pound-foot (900 Nm).
It's an all-black example with fat tires, a snorkel, auxiliary lights, a flatbed behind the cabin, and a spartan (for a modern-day ride) interior. It is likely that not many people will suspect you are loaded if you buy this ride, but petrolheads will certainly notice it. The 4x4 truck that can double as a recreational vehicle is in stock at Hollmann International. The vendor had a lot to say about it, so if you're interested, then you must click this link, which will take you to the online ad.
Nevertheless, don't do that yet, as we still haven't told you how much you will have to cough up in exchange for writing your name on the dotted line and parking it in your driveway. That would be a cool €273,700, including tax, which comes out to almost $300,000 at the current exchange rates. That kind of money could get you a new Mercedes-AMG G 63 with cash to spare, a fresh-off-the-lot Bentley Bentayga, or several other rides.
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