The iconic Mercedes-Benz G-Class is going electric and bringing with it a cool party trick. But you’ll have a hard time finding a place where it’s safe and legal to show it off.
It’s called the “tank turn,” though Mercedes would like you to call it the “G-turn” for marketing reasons.
The planned electric G class – probably called the EQG – uses four electric motors, one turning each wheel. Because a four-motor electric vehicle (EV) can turn the wheels on one side forward and the wheels on the other backward, it can rotate in place.
In an Instagram post, Mercedes calls it a “720-degree turn.” We’re unclear whether that means Mercedes has limited the feature to two rotations.
Mercedes showed off the trick in Las Vegas last week at the CES consumer electronics show. Four stunt drivers performed synchronized G-turns on the Las Vegas Strip during a planned demonstration.
Owners may have difficulty finding a place to safely and legally show off the trick. Mercedes notes that its demonstration happened “on a closed road with support from local police & special preparation of the road.”
Drivers might face judgment for doing it off-road, too. Electric automaker Rivian designed the tank turn into quad-motor versions of its R1T pickup, then removed the feature before the truck went into production over concerns that using it could tear up trails. Trail damage is a progressive disease. Ruts cut into the earth by tires grow worse as subsequent off-roaders drive through them.
So, if the G-Turn requires a prepared road or risks damaging a trail, it may be impractical outside of advertising. But we expect to see it in a lot of ads for the vehicle.
