Actually, the G-wagen is a military platform. It was designed for military service from the get-go in the 1970's. Like the Humvee to Hummer H1, the G500/55 is the civilian conversion of the military platform.

And remember, not everyone in the Army knows how to drive...so, having a vehicle that can drive fast over most surfaces and can handle heavy duty service is worth having.

BTW, i am not the biggest fan of the Hummer H1/Humvee, but it does serve it's purpose well over certain terrains (fast washboards, sand, mud) that no other vehicle can match. Yeah, my G or Rubicon can outperform H1 on rocks and small places, but there is no doubting H1's performance in the wide open areas.

Hi,

Does anyone know what engines are under those Hiluxes in Afghanistan or Iraq? Thanks.

AFAIK, it's the 2.5l common rail TDI (3L-T) or the 3.0l common rail TDI (5L-T).

Me either Thai. I had a chance to drive one about 15 years back and through the desert and wide trails, I would have taken the H1 hands down over anything else. The ability to go sideways across a hill where most vehicles would have rolled, the approach angle which allows climbing a nearly 3 foot vertical wall (or a series of them like steps) like it was nothing was very impressive. However my first exposure to the Civilian version of the H1 was one that was broken down on the side of the road with all 4 tires flat. I asked what had happened and the owner was showing off and went over a curb, but something on the curb caught and ripped the air supply line to the inflation system and deflated all four tires.

This reminds me of an anecdote in a book I read a few years ago, called "The Great War for Civilization" by a British journalist named Robert Fisk. Many years ago he actually interviewed Osama bin Laden, before 9/11 and all that's happened since. To meet OBL, he was driven up into the Afghan mountains in a Toyota "jeep" - presumably a Land Cruiser FJ40 - for hours in the dark.

I remember laughing when he wrote that, as they got to a particularly precarious spot, the driver turned to him and said "Toyota is good for jihad".