The G-Wagon 4x4 Squared, Explained: Portal Axles and What Changes
The G-Wagon 4x4 Squared is a G 63 lifted onto portal axles. Mercedes-AMG built the current one as a limited edition and calls it the last of its kind: 351 mm of ground clearance and 910 mm of wading depth, against roughly 238 mm of clearance on the standard car, with the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. It is a collector’s off-roader. The G-Wagon people drive around Los Angeles is the standard-height AMG G 63 or the G 550.
| What changes | 4×4² / G 63 | What kind of number that is |
|---|---|---|
| Ground clearance | 351 mm / about 238 mm | Mercedes-AMG’s figure for the 4×4²; The Drive’s for the standard car. Most of the gap is the portal axles. |
| Wading depth | 910 mm | Mercedes-AMG’s figure: water about a yard deep. |
| Approach / departure | 41.3° / 36.8° against 27° / 29.6° | The angles of slope it can meet without the bumpers touching. |
| Engine | the same 4.0-litre V8 | Rated 585 PS in Mercedes’ own figures, about 577 hp — the G 63’s output. |
| Suspension | independent front, portal hubs | The first squared G to pair portal axles with independent front suspension. |
What the 4x4 Squared is
Squared, as in 4×4 to the power of two: the same G-Class body and the same AMG engine, set on axles that move the wheel hubs below the axle line, so the whole car rides higher without longer springs.
Mercedes-AMG describes it as a special edition for a limited period and as the last combustion G of its kind — its own walkaround with the head of G-Class product management gives the 351 mm of clearance, the 910 mm of wading depth and a 40-degree ramp angle. Outside, it is the G 63 with carbon-fibre wheel-arch extensions, a carbon roof spoiler with light strips above the windscreen, a carbon cover over the spare wheel with the 4×4² script on it, and larger wheels and tyres to fill the arches.
What portal axles do
On an ordinary axle the shaft runs through the centre of the wheel. On a portal axle it runs higher, and a small gearbox at each hub steps the drive down to the wheel centre. The axle and the differential sit further from the ground, so a rock that would strike the diff housing of a normal car passes under it. The Drive put the lift at ten centimetres, about four inches, and lists the approach angle rising from 27 to 41.3 degrees and the departure angle from 29.6 to 36.8.
The locking differentials stay: centre, front and rear can all be locked fully, the centre through a multi-plate clutch, and the normal split sends 60 per cent of the torque to the rear. On the road it is a taller, heavier-looking G-Class with more roll and more to clear in a car park; off the road it goes where the standard car would scrape.
The line it comes from
It is the fourth of the high-riding specials. Carscoops lists the sequence: the six-wheeled G 63 AMG 6×6 of 2013, the G 500 4×4² of 2015, the Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet of 2017 with its folding rear roof, and this one, the first built on the second-generation G-Class. Each was made in small numbers and each was a statement about what the box could carry rather than a car for the school run.
Two questions we hear about it
Is it a different engine? No. It is the G 63’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with the nine-speed automatic; Mercedes quotes 585 PS, and English-language reports print the same output as 577 hp.
Why does nobody drive one to dinner? Height. A G 63 already stands close to two metres; the squared car adds about four inches of ride height and taller tyres, which decides where it can be parked before anything else does.
The G-Wagon people actually drive in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles G-Wagon is the standard car, and the reason is the city. Hotel forecourts, the ramps under Century City, a hillside driveway with a gate: the standard G 63 is the one that lives with them day to day, sounds like itself on the canyon road, and still has three locking differentials and four-wheel drive, which in a rental are specifications rather than plans: ours stay on paved roads. The G 550 is the same shape with the quieter engine.
We keep both. The G-Wagon rental page has them side by side with the rate by length; G 63 or G 550 settles which suits the day.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the G 63 4x4 Squared and a normal G 63?
Nizo Luxury — +1 (424) 303-6496 — keeps the standard AMG G 63 in Los Angeles at $799 a day, and the difference between it and the squared car is the axles. The 4x4 Squared sets the same body and the same 4.0-litre V8 on portal axles, which lift the axles and the differentials clear of the ground: 351 mm of ground clearance against roughly 238 mm, and 910 mm of wading depth. Everything a passenger touches is the G 63.
What does 4x4 Squared mean?
Four-by-four to the power of two: Mercedes’ name for the G-Class on portal axles, written 4×4². The first was the G 500 4×4² of 2015; the current one is built on the AMG G 63 and is the last of its kind, in Mercedes-AMG’s own words.
Is the 4x4 Squared faster than the G 63?
No. It has the same engine and output, and it carries more weight higher up on bigger tyres, so it is the slower and taller of the two on the road. It is built to go further off it.
Which G-Wagon is the one to drive around Los Angeles?
The standard-height car: the AMG G 63 for the V8 and the side pipes, or the G 550 for the quieter ride. Both have locking differentials and four-wheel drive, and both are on our G-Wagon rental page with the rate by length.