From the CJ Willys to the Toyota Land Cruisers, some of the best SUVs are those which are born out of military necessity. Unfortunately, it seems the same can be said for many of our technological advancements. <\/p>\n
But that\u2019s a subject for another time. Today, we\u2019re focusing on the Mercedes G-Wagen. Built in 1979, the G-Wagen got its name from the German word Gel\u00e4ndewagen. Short for \u201ccross country vehicle,\u201d the Gel\u00e4ndewagen was first commissioned by the Shah of Iran, who was at the time a significant Mercedes shareholder.<\/p>\n
As you can imagine, a military SUV commissioned by the leader of the Iranian monarchy couldn\u2019t just be a panic room with four wheels and a windshield. Rather, the Mercedes G-Wagen needed to be as comfortable as a night in The Plaza Hotel, and as formidable as a charging Rhino.<\/p>\n
And it is. Many versions of the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen have been, and are still being developed, but almost all of them live up to their cross country name.<\/p>\n
One G-Wagen in particular sticks out among the rest, though. This is the story of Otto, and Gunther Holtorf. Holtorf, an absolute legend of a man, has visited 215 different countries in his Mercedes-Benz 300 GD. Otto, as he calls the G-Wagen, has traversed nearly 900,000 kilometers, or 560,000 miles. Miraculously, the only major repairs Holtorf had to make on his 26-year journey were to Otto\u2019s the front axle bearings. Eight separate times.<\/p>\n