This minivan is what Mercedes should be making.
You probably know that a clean Mercedes-Benz R63 can cost up to $50,000. The minivan, now 11 years old, has a loyal following in the enthusiast community. But can you blame them? The factory-built, high-powered R-Class was equipped with a 6.2-liter V8 that produced 503 horsepower (375kilowatts) as well as 465 pound-feet (465 Newton-meters) torque. When it was new, it was the ultimate family hauler.
Unfortunately, the R63 was discontinued in 2007 and the entire R-Class ended in 2015. Evidently, there wasn’t enough demand to build a minivan of 500 horsepower in Germany. One artist thinks that the R-Class, a beloved German minivan with 500 horsepower, could be present within the city limits with a minor overhaul. Mercedes-Benz Lineup here and now for 2018
Russian artist Aksyonov Nickelta has created a digital model of a Mercedes-Benz R-Class. We’ve previously featured him here. The concept is inspired by the styling of the CLS sedan. It uses some modern Mercedes cues on the front and rear bumpers but keeps the original look that made it so beloved.
The R-Class concept draws inspiration from both the new CLS and the rest of Mercedes’ lineup, including the distinctive Mercedes gaping grille, as well as the unavoidable tristar logo. The look is defined by a set of sleek LED headlights, again taken from the CLS. While the rest of the body retains its four-door configuration and minivan proportions, the sleek set of LED lights gives it a modern edge. The CLA 45-inspired wheels look a lot like they were ripped off.
Nikita does not specify the engine that he envisions under the hood. However, if we were to guess, it would be the GLC63’s 4.0-liter V8. It produces 503 horsepower (375 kW) at its maximum power and 516 lbft (699 Nm), which would make it slightly more powerful than the previous model.