blueg wrote:I think the exhaust hangs so low because the G Wagen has been slowly morphing from it's original intended purpose.
They started out as one of the heartiest 4X4's ever built with all consideration toward endurance, clearance and travelling the rougher terrains.
Over time and as the G became more civilianized, larger engines, better gearing for proper road speeds and the inevitable desire for luxury has come to the front.
The sacrifices are obvious. Bigger engines and larger automatic transmissions take the space that once allowed the exhaust to be tucked up in the frame to maintain highest ground clearance.
Field maintenance and repair are no longer viable or profitable.
Bigger engines and twin exhaust manifolds on the V engines requires twice the linear space for exhaust and larger diameter to handle output.
Re engineering a 140K 463 to rock crawl is rich man's folly.
And a gas tank spreading across the rear of the truck, preventing the exhaust from being modded out the back! Beyond the exhaust pipes, everything else is pretty well tucked away. There's a few possible modifications that could be done to better tuck that exhaust up against the heat shield. One I have in mind is going to a straight pipe behind the catalytic converter and having it closer to the heat shield. Rock sliders will also mask this issue and protect stock exhaust.
As far as the "folly" goes, calling these things 140k is like calling your phone battery fully charged. The second it's off the lot (unplugged) it starts trickling down. You're also quoting a new G63, a G550 base is around 120k. These will become more in a reasonable price range with time and people will be using these just like the older versions. These things are very well equipped to accommodate for comfort during long cross country road trips and to hit trails once you get there. Maybe not to rock climb like a Jeep on 40s with a 6" lift, aftermarket axles, a chopped frame, and wrapped in custom steel work but it's all relative. Compared to stock/similarly upgraded Jeeps and Toyotas, these things are very capable and a lot of fun to use!