Mercedes-Benz, with additional input from the German tuning company Brabus, has introduced the ‘King Kong’ of off-roaders at this month’s Dubai Motor Show. It’s designed to be the most outrageous car of its type in the world, with the ability to discover the most inaccessible parts of the globe.
In early December 2005, at the Dubai Motor Show, DaimlerChrysler introduced the new Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 500 Black Edition, modified by the Brabus tuning studio. For the fans, of which Unimog has quite a few, it was like the wake up call at 4am. The handsome truck, styled by French designers from an aerospace company, is equipped like an intergalactic shuttle and surpasses anything that has ever left the gates of the DaimlerChrysler factories.
It is intended for true connoisseurs, understanding and rich. Very rich, because the price of the Black Edition, even with the most modest configuration, will not be lower than 300,000 euros. This is not Maibach for you …
In principle, the uniqueness of the Unimog U 500 Black Edition is conditional, as, indeed, of everything that comes out of the pen and chisel of the court tuning workshops. In fact, this is an ordinary 500-series Unimog that could work on cleaning the streets in some Kassel. Another thing is what this German analogue of “shishigi” turns into, forgive me, enthusiasts of both cars, the understanding that right now you are driving a super truck, of which there are only three pieces in the world and more, perhaps there will not be! And what is the image? A handsome man and a beast all rolled into one. Tall, three steps into the cockpit, like on a scaffold. Inside the buttons, toggle switches, keys and handles with scales that are in your helicopter. The view is wonderful, the number of mirrors will overshadow any beauty salon, and their curvature - any room of laughter. You don’t even sit on the motor, it roars somewhere behind you. "If you tilt the cab,
“There is a place for attaching equipment, the engine is further.” The inline 6.4-liter 6-cylinder monster develops only 280 hp. with. power and insane 1100 Nm of torque. Just think - a liter per cylinder, I want such cylinders! The gear ratio in the bridges is specially stretched to 6.38:1. Nevertheless, in the Unimog U 500 Black Edition, the gas pedal must be handled very carefully. With a weight of 7550 kg, it can jerk so that it becomes scary. True, the engine is boosted. And the wheelbase of the car, almost like the Defender, is 3350 mm. Imagine what a geometric cross he has!
As for the off-road capabilities of the Unimog U 500 Black Edition, they are limited only by the weight of the vehicle. Portal axles, 455/70R24 tires on 13x24 rims, meager approach and departure angles, three locks, eight gears forward and six reverse, plus a reduction in the transfer case and a tire pressure management system. A rare trophy prototype comes close in potential to this pontoon truck for country walks. Although why only suburban? The Black Edition booklet explicitly states: “It is ideal for urban and rough terrain driving, for use as a truck and recreational vehicle. In cooperation with the tuning studio Brabus, a car was created for individualists who prefer outdoor activities and who want to effectively stand out from the flow of cars on the road and off-road. I can say that this monster, of course, drives on asphalt and even manages well, but the pleasure is on the “tithe”. It will also be sad with him in the swamp, but if you roll out into the expanse of the Arabian deserts or drive through alpine meadows …
In addition to the engine, Brabus has done a lot of work both on the exterior and on the interior. The Unimog Black Edition looks like a cross between a trial truck and a circuit racing truck. A kind of truck buggy with a closed cabin. Severe stainless steel arches, impudent exhaust pipes and a snorkel are from the world of hot rods, and Kevlar panels, a spare wheel crucified in the body are trial and trophy cases. The salon is designed for something cosmic or, if there were premium class tanks, military. Carbon fiber, Alcantara, the finest Mastik leather on sports seats and velvety velor underneath, underfoot… The color scheme of the cabin corresponds to the name of the model - the color of a moonless night prevails here. The sports steering wheel is trimmed in black leather and the pedals in aluminium. Controls operate easily and clearly, just like a true Mercedes-Benz. Among the technical highlights of the new model is the COMAND system already known from the S-Class with a 6.5-inch display, DVD navigation, CD changer and a special compass function. The microclimate in the cabin is provided by two air conditioning systems. The free bonuses included tinted windows and a truly great sound system.
Someone will ask: why is this needed? After all, it seems that this black monster cannot offer any practical applicability, except for demonstrating its own complexes. Eh, you are not billionaires, since you argue like that! And who will pull the fifteen-ton yacht to the boathouse, Suburban? And how to deliver a trailer for the whole harem to the desert for mirages to admire? With friends on a distant cordon, what will help you get - Gelandewagen? And in the mountains, to the very top, to the black slopes on what, on the X5 to go? Here! A big benefit from the Unimog U 500 Black Edition, if you approach the issue in a big way. Still, this is a real Unimog: UNIversal MOtor Gerat is a universal motor chassis, albeit devilishly UNIQUE