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| © DK Engineering Imagine a Nineties Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet, but with locking diffs and a folding metal top. |
In the world of open-top SUVs, entrants tend to fall into one of two categories. Capable but brutish drop-tops like the Bronco and Wrangler focus on adventure, while boatish cruisers like the Land Rover Evoque Convertible and Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet are better fit for city driving. For those who want to split the middle, though, there's the G-Wagen-based 1996 Heuliez Intruder concept.
See while the Wrangler is great, its utilitarian interior and multi-part top doesn't make it particularly easy to live with. But try to take a CrossCabriolet anywhere tougher than a snowy driveway and you'll realize why car-based convertible SUVs don't work off pavement. This concept, though, has style, a luxurious (for the time) interior, and Mercedes G-Wagen underpinnings. The perfect compromise.
So in addition to the folding hard top and plush leather seats, you get a 3.2-liter inline-six and locking differentials. Power is routed through a four-speed automatic to an all-wheel drive system, which should help you traverse slippery ground.
Naturally, the customer base for a capable off-roader that looked like a stylish coupe on stilts never looked particularly large. When the Evoque and Murano convertibles couldn't last despite backing from mega corporations and more sophisticated underpinnings, it's no surprise that the tiny coachbuilder Heuliez never made this thing into a production vehicle. Three were made, mostly used for the 1996 Paris Auto Show.
Yet, you can still buy one. DK Engineering in the U.K. has a freshly serviced example, spotted by @MidnightDorifto on Twitter, with just over 1000 miles on it. You'll have to inquire about pricing, but expect a big number. You don't get something this unique without some serious coin.
See more at: Road & Track
See while the Wrangler is great, its utilitarian interior and multi-part top doesn't make it particularly easy to live with. But try to take a CrossCabriolet anywhere tougher than a snowy driveway and you'll realize why car-based convertible SUVs don't work off pavement. This concept, though, has style, a luxurious (for the time) interior, and Mercedes G-Wagen underpinnings. The perfect compromise.
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| © DK Engineering g wagen intruder concept |
Naturally, the customer base for a capable off-roader that looked like a stylish coupe on stilts never looked particularly large. When the Evoque and Murano convertibles couldn't last despite backing from mega corporations and more sophisticated underpinnings, it's no surprise that the tiny coachbuilder Heuliez never made this thing into a production vehicle. Three were made, mostly used for the 1996 Paris Auto Show.
good morning to everyone on my timeline, @dsgolson, DK Engineering, and this 1996 Mercedes G-Wagen Intruder Concept now available for purchase in the UKhttps://t.co/M6BBp9BXMZ pic.twitter.com/JGOe1T6KUr— Team Radar Love (@midnightdorifto) July 15, 2020
