After the management decided to continue the production for the G-Class, the German car-maker insisted to built the convertible version as well.
Like the Jeep Wrangler and the Land Rover Defender, the G-Class featured a two-door and a convertible version as well. Since the car was built on a body-on-frame structure, it was easier to install an open-top bodywork.

The updated design included new front headlights and a new grille. The typical turn-signals were mounted on top of the fenders. The door-mirrors featured turn-signals with LEDs. The convertible system was still the same, which didn’t allow the car to be covered or uncovered while driving.

The 2012 facelift introduced a completely redesigned interior with a free-floating 7” display. A TFT display found its place inside the new instrument cluster, between the round, chromed, dials. The customers were not very pleased with the column-mounted gear-selector for the automatic transmission, so it was brought back on the floor. To access the rear seats, the front ones had to be tilted forward. Even though, due to the center roll-over protection bar, the access in the back was difficult.

For the drivetrain, the last generation of the G-Class W463 convertible was offered exclusively with a 5.0-liter V8 engine mated to a standard 7-speed automatic transmission with a dual-clutch system.

Mercedes-Benz introduced a facelifted version for the 1990 G-Class and kept the open-top version for it.
Developed as a hard-core off-road vehicle, the G-Class convinced armies, tyrants, mobs, superstars, and off-road enthusiasts to buy them. Mercedes-Benz introduced a second-generation, named W463, in 1990, but it was the same old body-on-frame cube on wheels with an upgraded, more luxurious interior. And, in 2007, the German carmaker introduced a facelift for it and built it as a convertible as well, based on the three-door version.

Like its predecessors, the 2007 G-Class cabriolet featured a flat front fascia with round headlights in squared clusters. It was unmistakable on any roads, anywhere in the world. Its turn signals placed on top of the front fenders were unique on the market. For the 2007 model, the G-Class sported a new front grille with three horizontal slats that supported the wide three-pointed star badge. A revised bumper covered the chassis endings and included a pair of fog lights. The carmaker had to keep a triangular B-pillar to mask the safety arch behind the front seats. While with the top down, it was acceptable, with the manually operated canvas roof up, it didn’t look that good anymore due to its plastic side windows. At the back, the carmaker mounted the spare wheel on the side-hinged rear door.

The G-Class Cabriolet offered room for four in the cabin but with limited space and access for the rear seats, especially when the roof was up. Its trunk was large enough for a couple of sandwiches from Subway, but the best part was at the front. Mercedes-Benz installed a new instrument cluster with a similar look as the one from the C-Class W203 facelift. For the infotainment system, the carmaker introduced a new unit with a DVD-based navigation system.

Under the hood, Mercedes-Benz installed a choice of two engines: a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 and a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6. Both sent their power in all corners via a newly developed seven-speed automatic gearbox (7G-Tronic).

The 2001 Mercedes-Benz G-Class was offered in a full lineup as a 5-door wagon, 3-door, and cabriolet.
The latter was not a utilitarian vehicle anymore. It was more of a fashion vehicle.

The easiest way to convert a closed body vehicle into a cabriolet is to cut its roof and put a canvas top. If the vehicle is a body-on-frame construction, as the G-Class, then more than half of the job was done. If there is a 3-door version, it is more likely to complete the sketches in a day.

The G-Class Cabriolet looked like a regular G-Class without a roof. Moreover, the mighty German designers didn’t even try to install frameless doors on the G-Class, as most of the convertible vehicle had from the beginning. They kept the same 3-door body, cut the roof and the rear windows, and install a security arch behind the front seats, masked with a wide triangular B-pillar.

The 3-door G-Class never won a contest for its interior room. The front seats were ok even for taller occupants, but the rear seats were cramped. Since the convertible version needed a place to store the roof, the rear bench was pushed forward. As a result, there was even less legroom. And, despite its high sticker-price, the roof was not power-operated.

For the drivetrain, the G-Class Cabriolet installed better engines. The car-maker didn’t put the four-cylinder units. It was offered with a choice of two gasoline and two diesel units. All of them were mated to a 5-speed automatic. On the plus side, the G-Class cabriolet was a great off-road weapon.

By 1990, the entire class was revised with the cars having gained several upgrades including a reinforced chassis complete with a new suspension system and anti-lock brakes.
Novelty made its way into cabin as well which was restyled with a new choice of upholstery and wooden accents. For seven years, no other changes were made, until 1997 when the class received a facelift that introduced two new power units and a power-operated top for the convertible. The G-KLass cabrio became world’s only hand-made 4-wheel drive vehicle with that kind of top and three locking differentials.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is one of the all-time classic vehicles that became iconic in the car industry.
There are only a handful of cars that could go into that “hall-of-fame” territory. And it all started in 1979.

The Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was one of the significant stake-holders of the Mercedes-Benz and he suggested making a civilian version of the military vehicle G-Wagen. The project started in 1972 and Mercedes-Benz and the Austrian special vehicles manufacturer Steyr worked together for this. In February 1979, the first G-Wagen rolled out the factory.

The brick design of the G-Class was easier to manufacture. The door hinges were exposed and the overall vehicle looked like it was built from flat sheets of metal. But that was the idea, to look sturdy and rough. The introduction of the cabriolet version was a good idea for those who wanted to enjoy the open-air feeling, and it was easy to transform the 3-door closed-cabin bodywork into a convertible, since the car featured a body-on-frame construction.

For the interior, the car-maker installed two front seats and a cramped space for the rear passengers, who had to fit between the retracted canvas-top and the front seats. It was not a comfortable solution, but it worked.

The first series, the W 460, was produced up to 1992 when the new W 461 came along. It wasn’t a significant change on the look of the vehicle, but more engines and newer technologies were installed.