It's like mixing peanut butter and chocolate . . . two great tastes, or in this case, two great concepts, mixed together to create something new and unique.

First, start with the storied Gelaendewagen, also known as the G-wagen, the G500, or the G-Class in this country. The G-wagen is Mercedes' rugged yet luxurious military-style SUV, first introduced in Europe in 1979, but available in North American only since 2002.

Next, add in AMG, Mercedes' own in-house tuner, which can take just about any Mercedes vehicle and make it better by pumping up the power and style.  While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the tall, boxy, souped-up look of the G55 forces a judgement - either you love it or hate it.  It's impossible to be indifferent, the look is so out there.

The result is the 2003 G55 AMG, which could be described as the Gelaendewagen on steriods. The engine has been increased from a standard 5.0-liter engine to a 5.4-liter V8, and horsepower was increased from 292 to 349. Style tweaks included dual side-exit exhaust pipes, performance tires, and larger 18-inch wheels (up from 16 inch wheels in the standard G500). And as expected, the G55 has just about every luxury amenity you can imagine, including 10-way power-adjustable heated leather seats, walnut interior trim, velour floor carpeting, a leather-wrapped parking brake lever, Harman Kardon sound system, and a whole lot more.