ILLUSTRATION: PAUL RYDING
Imagine a Mercedes-A MG G63, but electrically powered and given one of Mansory’s medium-strength goings over. But you needn’t imagine, because it exists. I’m sitting in it. It’s not just a concept either, but already on sale, taking on deserts, swamps and blizzards. By contra-rotating its four motors it can turn in its own length, as per a Bobcat skid-steer loader. It can float, making slow hippo-like progress through calm waters by spinning its bladed alloys. That said it doesn’t look too seaworthy and they call it “emergency float mode”.
Its absurdly plush cabin is ready for six-lane highways too. For the moment just in China mind you, for this is the Yanwang U8. Yanwang, the upmarket brand of BYD, is now building more pure electric cars than Tesla, plus a pile of hybrids too. The U8 appeared at the Geneva Motor Show, and while it was easy to sneer at the OTT optics, the tech brooks no argument. And hey, a G-Wagen is hardly low-key in the styling department.