One-Off Mercedes G55 AMG For Abu Dhabi Prince

My eyes-MY EYES! Dear Lord, how can a company that goes by the name of A.R.T. make something aesthetically criminal as this? Look, I understand, the Merc G-class is not that attractive to begin with (sort of looks like the box in came in), but to make it even worse, that's a kind of talent (I suppose).

OK, quick confession: I kind of like the Mercedes Benz G-class. They have always seemed so honest (at least until they started to tart them up). Big, square, converted from military use, what's not to love? No, I have no need for an SUV, or to go off roading at the moment, but if I did, I'd have to think about something like a G-whatever. Then I'd think better of it (cost) and go buy a Jeep (parts availability & reliability).

But still, to do something like this to a G-class is kind of galling. Maybe it has something to do with the customer, supposedly a Prince from Abu Dhabi (talk about money not buying taste). Hey, it's his petro-dollars, so who am I to complain. Especially since it'll be The Gulf for the rest of its life, and I'll never have to see it on the road.

Anyway, said Merc is being built by the German tuning house (haus?) A.R.T. specially for His Highness Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Sultan Bin Rashed Al Nahyan. They call it the AS55K Yaas Edition, which is not nearly as cool as the customers name.

The stock 5.5-liter V8 mill has its horsepower bumped from 507 up to 620 HP. There's new brakes, to the tune of 8-piston calipers up front and 4-piston stoppers out back. Other than that, it's all appearance "upgrades".

There's a full carbon-fiber body kit along with polished stainless steel nerf bars under the side skirts. And there's a trio of chrome-plated tailpipes positioned right under the rear doors. A.R.T. have widened fenders and stuffed in 22-inch polished alloys wrapped in high-performance meats.

You want headlights? How about 12, count 'em 12 projector lamps including four xenon upper-beam headlights and eight fog lamps. I've worked with very finicky directors of photography that would call that excessive.

Inside, you've got cinnamon-colored leather and Alcantara on most surfaces matched with bronze tinted carbon fiber decorative trim. I guess A.R.T. uses the word " decorative" differently than I would. Oh yeah, no price, but who cares at this point. Whatever the cost, it was too much.

Source: CarScoop