Monster Mercedes 6X6 Truck Heads for 2014 Production

Daimler AG confirms it will start low-volume production in 2014 of the wild G63 AMG 6x6 SUV it revealed in concept form in February. The company initially expected to launch the huge vehicle next month.

Daimler expects to build about 30 of the monster trucks annually. Mercedes-Benz product manager Heiko Schmidt says most of the 6x6s it makes will go to customers in the Middle East.

Mercedes had said the all-wheel-drive 6x6 will be priced at about $400,000. The brawny four-seater is 19 feet long and more than 7 feet tall.

The truck's twin-turbocharged V-8 engine makes 536 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque enough to push the 8,300-lb vehicle from zero to 62 mph in less than 6 seconds. Power delivery is managed by three driver-controlled switches that control five locking differentials.