Until last January, Mercedes-Benz had never launched a new generation G-Class. The iconic SUV launched in 1979 and changed relatively little over the following decades. When it came time for a complete redesign, the German automaker knew it couldn't mess too much with success, though architectural updates were needed. To help ensure G-Class loyalists and future buyers the SUV stayed true to its roots, Mercedes encased a 1979 G-Class in 45 tons of resin, shaped into a cube, and mounted it at the entrance of Detroit's Cobo Hall.

It was mighty impressive, as this writer saw it in the flesh as his own flesh suffered outside in the bitter January cold. Weighing a total of 52 tons, the Amber Cube required 90 days of production. No doubt Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche was quite pleased with the finished product.

It wasn't like encasing a mosquito in amber and, if it didn't work, simply try again. No, this was a one-shot deal. There were no room for mistakes otherwise all would be ruined. Fortunately they got it right, and the completed 52 ton, 10.5 feet tall and 8.4 feet wide sculpture featuring the "trapped" 1979 G-Class was transported from Hamburg, Germany, to Detroit, Michigan, a distance of 4,000 miles. Not a bad way to properly celebrate the launch of the new 2019 G-Class.