There are two trucks that I love, the Mercedes G-Wagen and the Suzuki Jimny — for very different reasons. One is a plucky little trail-hopper, the other a Teutonic land crusher. Because of their vast differences, I thought nary to two shall meet.
Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon the latest creation of Japanese tuning brand Liberty Walk. It has created a body kit for the Jimny along with a luxury interior upgrade package.
Liberty Walk kicks off the G-transformation with a stock Jimny. Then it bolts up a front fascia that shamelessly cribs the styling of the G, including a new grille, bumpers, headlights, and hood replete with carbon-fiber scoop.
READ MORE: WHAT IS AN OVERLANDING VEHICLE?
Turning their attention to the interior, they lay in fine leather upholstery with accent stitching, and a carbon fiber leather-wrapped steering wheel. Then designers embroider the seats and the floor mats. And they finish it off with window shades and a stainless steel exhaust. Magnifique!
Am I suggesting this thing would be a good overlanding rig? Mmm … probably not. Mean, the G-Wagen-y skirts don’t do much for approach angles. And a carbon-fiber steering wheel isn’t very rugged. Nevertheless, I am weirdly obsessed with this little thing.
If you ever find yourself overland-rig shopping in Japan, this twee luxury buggy could be a distinctive choice. To sweeten the deal, here’s my offer to you: I’ll buy it from you in 25 years when we are allowed to import Jimnys into the U.S.
Header image: Liberty Walk
Written by Nick Jaynes. You can find Nick on Twitter at @nickjaynes and on Instagram @nickjaynes