Mercedes-Benz Offers Fans the Ultimate Off-Road G-Wagen Experience

The Mercedes G-Wagon is a legendary vehicle 

The Mercedes G-Wagon has a loyal following, and since 2020, Mercedes-Benz has been offering the most dedicated and passionate G-Class enthusiasts a unique, action-packed program featuring their favorite boxy 4x4s.

At the G‑Class Experience Center near its factory in Graz, Austria, fans can experience what it’s like to drive a G-Wagon in situations other than traversing city streets, daily commutes, mall parking lots, and the valet areas behind velvet ropes at high-end restaurants. Mercedes is more than eager to show its loyal fans what the G-Wagon is capable of at the absolute limit, whether it be on extreme slopes of up to 35 degrees, experiencing one-wheel traction, deep mud, or on the infamous Iron Schöckl’s 100% gradient.

Since Mercedes introduced the experience in 2020, eager fans worldwide were quick to fill every slot when it offered the experience every year. However, this year, Mercedes‑Benz is expanding its fan-favorite G‑Class customer programs with new challenges and more unique experiences.

A summer camp for G-Wagon fans 

This year, Mercedes is offering loyal fans of the G-Class SUV the chance to have some new experiences related to their favorite boxy off-roader, including the opportunity to embark on a curated adventure that shows the luxury 4×4’s capabilities in a challenging new environment.

These new G-Class-related experiences are the first to take place away from the G‑Class Experience Center in Graz. Dubbed the G‑Class Expedition Desert Edition, 20 enthusiasts in various G-Class vehicles will trek across the mountains and deserts of Morocco over the course of five days. 

In essence, Mercedes is offering an off-roading luxury summer camp centered around the G-Wagon, which kicks off with a welcome dinner and a night at a 5-star hotel in Marrakech before setting off on a 504-mile (811 km) off-road journey across Morocco the next morning. Here, drivers will rock across the stunning Atlas Mountains, where they’ll climb up to 9,186 feet (2,800 meters), traversing scenic passes, rocky trails, water crossings, and the kind of rugged terrain that G-Classes are made for.

After a night at a hotel near Dades, drivers continue the trip on the Anti-Atlas range toward the Merzouga Desert. Enthusiasts will get to eat lunch at Gara Medouar, a crater made famous by the James Bond film Spectre, before heading off to a private desert camp in time for a spectacular sunset over the dunes. On day four, it’s full desert mode. Guests will drive as part of convoys while they play in the sand and eat each other’s dust. The journey wraps up in Errachidia with a charter flight back to Marrakech and a final farewell dinner to cap off this wild off-road escape.

The G-Wagon Experience, part II

In addition to the Morocco experience, this year, Mercedes is offering G-Class fans an extended and more challenging version of the G‑Class Experience. Dubbed the ‘Private Coaching’ package, G-Wagon fans get an extended look at what makes the legendary off-roader over the course of two days. 

After spending a night at a hotel in Graz following the usual G-Class experience program, drivers will get to experience the legendary Schöckl test track. For the first time, drivers will tackle the nearly 3.5-mile (5.6 km), 4,470-feet-high (1,445 meters) course that’s been putting every G-Class through its paces for over 40 years alongside dedicated instructors.

Mercedes calls it the Nurburgring Nordschleife for off-readers, where full-on thrills can be found when the asphalt gives way to gravel, then nothing but raw terrain. Drivers will navigate their G-Wagons on 60% gradients, 40% inclines, knee-high ledges on one or two wheels, deep ruts, hollow paths, and will even have to squeeze past massive trees and sheer drops. 

Final thoughts

According to Mercedes-Benz, these events will only be around for a limited time and won’t be cheap. The two-day ‘Private Coaching’ G-Class Experience is only available until November and will cost 9,950 euros (~$11,465) for two people. It includes two nights with breakfast at a partner hotel in Graz, “culinary highlights” at the G‑Class Experience Center, and a welcome dinner in Graz’s city centre.

For the Mercedes-Benz Morocco Trip, just six events are planned from October to November. The cost is 14,990 euros (~$17,283) per spot, which includes five nights of accommodation, meals, and a charter flight from Errachidia to Marrakech.

Mercedes is going all-out when it comes to giving its fans a taste of what the brand is about. It goes beyond a booth at an auto show, a brand activation, or a pop-up; granted, you do have to pay a hefty penny to experience these things. Perhaps this could open up opportunities for Mercedes to conduct a “world tour” and allow fans to experience the G-Wagon in different environments around the globe. For instance, I’d like to see a G-Wagon drive near the Arctic Circle, but I guess it all depends on the proximity to a decent hotel.