The Mercedes-Benz G-Class - also called the G-Wagen or Geländewagen - has come a long way from its roots as a utilitarian military vehicle. A new G550 costs $124,500 and includes luxury features such as massaging leather seats and automatic climate control. Expedition Motor Company, a restoration group based in New Jersey, wanted to celebrate 40 years of the G-Wagen by taking the SUV back to its military roots.

The company started with an ex-military 1992 250GD convertible, which was famously referred to as the "Wolf" by the German military. It features a two-door bodystyle with a fold-down windshield and removable roof, much like a Jeep Wrangler. This restored creation wasn't built to hangout around Beverly Hills, it was built to do some serious off-roading.

"Our goal at Expedition Motor Company is to do one thing, and one thing only: and that is to flawlessly restore and re-imagine the convertible G-Wagen," says Expedition Motor Company Founder Alex Levin. "Other than the Unimog, no other vehicle has enjoyed a more successful run in Daimler's history, and our company is commemorating 40 years of the G-Wagen with a new series of Wolf restorations. The Expedition Motor Company G-Wagen trucks feature military durability and timeless design, but the best part is that these trucks are so versatile. An Expedition Motor Company truck can go anywhere. A Wolf can easily tackle the world's harshest terrain, but looks just as sharp at a vacation home cruising the beach or on an alpine mountain road."

Expedition spends more than 1,000 hours restoring each G-Wagen, taking 12-16 weeks depending on customer preference. The G-Wagen pictured here is finished in a shade called Mojave Silver and has been nicknamed 'The Silver Wolf.' It is powered by a 2.5-liter five-cylinder diesel engine mated to a five-speed manual, offering legendary durability and longevity.

The Silver Wolf was stripped down to bare metal before being protected by an anti-corrosive primer and finished in a matte black powder coat. Expedition then disassembled the factory axles and re-assembled them with all new internals before re-assembling the entire car to make sure all the parts line up properly. The company mostly works with convertible G-Wagens but says it will source a hardtop if a client requests it.

Customers can choose from a palette of 14 colors, featuring some original factory hues along with some new ones. There's even an online configurator where you can build your dream G-Wagen. We built one in Agate Green (pictured below) with a few exterior additions like a winch and bull bar. The Expedition Motor Company Silver Wolf is the first of the 40th anniversary 250GD G-Wagen builds, which are now available starting at $90,000.