Luxury cars never get cheaper, but how do tariffs affect the car market?
Tariffs affect the market everywhere. The answer to your question depends heavily on the luxury car manufacturer you are asking.
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For the wealthier off-road enthusiasts among us, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is well known as the G-Wagen – was the billionaire’s answer to the Jeep Wrangler. Many of them aren’t actually off-roading, as G has been clearly in high-end moves in recent years. However, the G-Wagen game had one hole that Jeep had from the jump recently. This is an outdoor model designed in the factory. Now, about 13 years after offering the last G500 cabriolet, Mercedes clearly decided it was time to get back the drop-top G-Wagen.
Compare the overexposed teaser images at the top of the story with the current 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class hardtop, everything goes up to the back of the rear door and the roof drip rails look the same. However, if you get through that, you’ll find some kind of aerodynamic cover on the front and a roll hoop that passes through a new, sloping C-pillar. This design suggests a soft roll-up top, but also has a solid panel design that resembles the Wrangler Freedom Panel setup. It may also explain the interesting shape of the rear bed. Here you may be able to store these panels when not in use. However, this also works as a regular hard bed cover as it appears to have a hinge at the base of the C-pillar.
The impact of previous G-Wagen open tops
The overall profile and C-pillar design of the new model appears to have acquired some of the cues from the G500 Cabriolet, the last convertible G-Class Mercedes offered in the 2013 model year. It also appears to have the surprising G-Wagen Cribbed Elements of about the same era. The C-pillar is not very sharp on the G63 6×6, but the cargo bed appears to be similar in scope.
History of G-Class cabriolet
The new G is far from the first open-air G class. Like the Jeep Wrangler and hMMWV (Hummer), the Slope Wagen for short, or G-Wagen, was born out of military necessity and eventually transformed into a civilian utility vehicle. The G-Wagen started as both on both W460 models in 1979, and the convertible was offered as one of five variants built by Mercedes-Benz. This was only offered in a short wheelbase (SWB) configuration, which is the same chassis as the 3-door model. The artillery carrying the G-Wagens Ware is technically hardtop, but the gunners were able to open hatching the roof almost above the rear passengers to reach the machine gun they were fitted with. You can count it as convertible depending on how quickly and loosely you play with this term.
In 1980, Mercedes used the 230 G Cabriolet to build Pope John Paul II’s first Popemovie. Bringing an interesting side note: counting Popemobiles as a continuation of the G-Class cabriolet, the all-electric G580 built for Pope Francis in 2024 could be considered the last two-door cabrio – just before he died. These can be argued that there are countless habits, but it is worth pointing out.
One of the wildest models in G history is the Mercedes Maybach G650 Landorett. The Maybach Landaulet was a long wheelbase (LWB) four-door, but features a roll-up glass partition between the front seat back and the rear passenger area, leaving it from clear to opark for rear passenger privacy. This crazy gimmick from G-Wagen passed the angled section of the C-pillar and placed the seat back further behind, with the same portal axle found on the G63 AMG 6×6, but instead of triplets, it only used a pair. It is equipped with a Mercedes 6.0-liter twin-turbo V-12, which outputs 630 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. Technically, the IS was also half a cabriolet, as only the rear passengers enjoyed top-down driving and the roof folded into the cargo area. The front resident rode under a hard roof, so this could be called a proper convertible (intentionally pun).
Anyway, fans of the G-Class but who wanted a factory-made cabriolet version are quickly given hope.
Photos by Motortrend staff and manufacturers
