2025 Mercedes-Benz G550 Edition Stronger Than The 1980s Gets The Best Retro G-Wagen Design Cues

When Mercedes-Benz built the 500,000th G-Class back in 2023, it gave that milestone car a special retro spec that G-Wagen enthusiasts went nuts for. It had a throwback paint color, a black-painted nose, older-style wheels, orange turn signals, and other touches that harkened back to early models like the original 280GE. Sadly, Mercedes said that 500,000th G was just a fun design exercise, not something you could actually buy. At least, not until now. The brand just revealed the G-Class Edition STRONGER THAN THE 1980s — yes, Mercedes capitalizes it like that — and it basically applies all of the 500,000th car’s styling cues to the G-Class’ recent facelift, with a handful of new touches as well.

In a nod to the W460 chassis code of the original G-Class, Mercedes will only be making 460 of the Edition Stronger Than The 1980s globally, all based on the inline-6-powered G550 model. It will be available at “select U.S. dealerships” later this year, surely only ones that have a high quotient of G-Wagen enthusiasts. Pricing isn’t available yet, but it’ll certainly be more than the G550’s $149,400 base price.

The Edition Stronger Than The 1980s will be offered in three classic colors that are instantly recognizable as being worn by G-Wagens. The first is Agave Green, which is described as “an earthy green that radiates robustness and closeness to nature and emphasizes the outstanding off-road capability of the G-Class.” Then there’s Cream, which is a “classic and timeless color that exudes a touch of elegance and sophistication and was a popular choice among customers who primarily used the G-Class for city driving.” Finally, it’s available in Colorado Beige, a “warm, sandy hue that conveys a sense of adventure and freedom and emphasizes the versatile character of the G-Class.”

Each color is paired with bumpers, fenders, and side skirts painted in matte black, an option available on normal G-Wagens, though not with a combo of matte lower bits and gloss paint. Unique to this special edition is the whole front fascia being painted black, which every old G-Class had, and fantastic amber turn signals instead of the clear ones modern G-Wagens have used for decades. The side mirrors and door handles have also been finished in matte black.

Included on this special edition are bits from the Professional package like the mud flaps and all-terrain tires. If you get yours in Agave Green, Mercedes also gives it the roof rack and rear ladder from the Professional pack, and, in Europe, rad headlight guards. Like the 500,000th car, the Edition 1980s has 18-inch wheels with the classic five-spoke star design that Mercedes fitted to countless G-Wagens over the decades.

The tailgate gets a vintage Mercedes-Benz script badge, and the star emblem in the hood also uses the silver 1980s design. Instead of the standard cloth spare tire cover you get with the Professional package, or the hard shell unit of normal G-Wagens, this model has a retro cloth cover with a silver Mercedes star. The door handles are finished in black with embossed G logos, and the mirrors have puddle lights that project a “G — STRONGER THAN TIME” light.

Perhaps the best part of the Edition Stronger Than The 1980s is on the inside, where the black leather seats have Dove Grey fabric inserts with a wonderful plaid pattern taken straight from the old G-Wagens. The grab handle on the passenger side of the dashboard has a pretty cheesy “Stronger Than The 1980s” logo etched into the wood trim, and the center console has a “1 of 460” badge. Another unique touch is on the side sills, where you’ll find a topographical design of the Schöckl mountain in Graz that Mercedes has tested every G-Class on since 1979, complete with coordinates.

Finally, there’s one more fun Easter egg. Placed in the B-pillar of every new-gen G-Wagen, visible only when you’ve got the doors open, is a badge that shows an illustration of a G550 with the words “Mercedes-Benz Schöckl Proved” around it. For the Edition 1980s, Mercedes replaced that illustration with one of an original G-Class, matching the color to the paint color of your car.