The Mercedes-Benz G 500 4×4². A car that glues itself to the ground, no matter the circumstances. The Airbus A380. An aircraft that cuts the air, no matter the turbulences.
SR Creativity // People & Carphotography took the Mercedes-Benz G 500 4×4² on a special photo shooting at the airport. The Mercedes boxy giant sat next to the Airbus A 380, getting a helping hand from the Mercedes-Benz air partner, Lufthansa. And this is what came out of it.
What we know as one of the biggest and most robust vehicle ever made, the Mercedes-Benz G 500 4×4², is dwarfed by the biggest passenger jet ever made, the Airbus A380, certified for no less than 880 people.
Built especially for long distance flights, the double-deck jumbo jet can fly as high as 13,114 m (43,000 ft) above the ground during its transcontinental flights. The A380 is available with two types of turbofan engines, the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 (for the A380-841, 842 and 843 F variants) or the Engine Alliance GP7000 (for the A380-861 and 863F).
Back on earth, the land where the extremes meet: this is the territory of the Mercedes-Benz G 500 4×4², the next best thing to the giant 6×6, from which it inherited the complex axle geometry. The standard version of Mercedes’s new twin-turbocharged four-valve-per-cylinder 4.0-litre V8 direct injection petrol engine makes its first public appearance alongside the new G 500 4×4². The approach and departure angles have been increased from 36 and 27 degrees to a respective 52 and 54 degrees, while fording depth is up from 600mm to 1000mm and the tipping angle increases from 28 to 30 degrees.
For 226.100 euros, one gets the SUV with the portal axles, permanent all-wheel drive, an off-road reduction in the transfer case and three lockable differentials, together with 416 HP developed by its V8 included. In case you prefer the stratosphere, the Airbus A380 comes for US$390 million (355 million euros). Tickets are surely cheaper, unless you’ve got over 800 friends that you want to fly across the Ocean.
