Could two vehicles be anymore different than these two? A classic multipurpose four-wheel drive and a modern sports car.
The Unimog looks to be a long wheelbase 406 model from the 1960s or 1970s, equipped rather like a troop carrier or utility truck. It’s likely fitted with a 65hp four cylinder diesel engine. The 350Z makes a tad more power from its DOHC 3.5L V6.
I’ll take the Unimog thank you. Something about the Nissan’s exhaust note makes me think of a wounded Cow moaning.
I’d also prefer the Mog, preferably re-powered with a newer MB, Subaru or VW Diesel. Both are good vehicles well evolved for their purpose. The Unimog has stopped depreciating and may actually be appreicating. At some point in 10-15yrs it will be worth more than the Z.
The Unimog could find a home in my driveway…then again with a Unimog who needs a driveway? With a more powerful M-B diesel under the hood, I’d be good to go, and it would likely be on the road long after the Z is pushing up the daisies.
I dunno, they’re both pretty ugly. I’d have fun driving the one on the left over the blob on the right.
In preference to, or as in crunch-crunch? Either works fine for me.
Crunch-crunch! 😀
If there’s a car that needs an engine like the Volkswagen’s V12 TDI, the Unimog is it!
I’d rather have the Unimog too, but the 350Z is a great car – much better experienced from behind the steering wheel.
Hey quick question for any heavy duty M-B aficionados we might have in hiding here…
When I was much, much younger I remember frequently seeing Mercedes-Benz cabs/box trucks that bore a very striking resemblance to the Unimog. I saw them regularly up until the early 2000’s and even occasionally after that. Last one I saw was a couple years back bearing Chinese fish market tags and looking like it had driven through several warzones.
The question is – were these actually Unimog variants, or a completely different species? The front end on them looked nearly identical.
You mean the famous L-Series? Like this one? They were made for decades, and sold for awhile in the US, in the seventies. Haven’t seen one in quite a while either.
The L-Series was a conventional truck made in various sizes and capacities, but had nothing in common with the Unimog, except maybe a few parts.
Yes, that’s it! I remember them being everywhere when I was younger, they were usually refrigerated box trucks but I recall seeing other versions too, like this dump truck… I guess it’s just the grille that looks similar, but like I said – been a loooong time since they were a common sight. The one I saw a couple years ago roared past while I was standing on a street corner and I barely got a look at it.
I’ll have to keep my eyes open for one now. I’m sure there are at least a few still kicking around in the wilderness.
Yes, most of the ones I remember in the US were local type delivery trucks, often refrigerated. If you find one, get a set of pictures. Where do you live, BTW?
The L-Series is a legendary truck, built from 1959 until 1995! And still very popular in Africa, where they see very hard use, like this:
Amazing… that would have been a good picture to use a few weeks ago in that discussion of torque vs. horsepower and gearing. Your reply sent me down a Wikipedia/Google wormhole where I’m now watching several insane videos of these things still being abused in Africa and South America. Apparently the Brazilian-built version of the L-series was also sold in the US in the 1980’s – I remember seeing that one too, there should be a picture (not mine – from Wikipedia) down below.
I live in the vast suburban wasteland of Nassau County, NY. The L-series I saw a couple years back was in Manhattan while I was at work. Next time I come across one I’ll be sure to grab some pictures of it, I’m very confident that some of them are still out there hauling weird fish around the city.
Ha! Haven’t seen that kind of truck for a long time too. Used to be very common here in Indonesia back then, in the 1970s and 1980s. They’ve all but disappeared today. I think that’s just Mercedes’ signature styling for trucks back then, the Unimog’s, being an utility vehicle, wear them for the longest time I suppose. The modern Unimog no longer look like that anymore anyhow,
I worked in the truck industry in the late 70’s and early ’80’s and paid attention to Class 6-7-8 trucks. These were very rare in California, but I saw a lot in the Northeast. Kinda the opposite of passenger car trends …. maybe it had something to do with distribution.
Love to see more about the cars and trucks of Africa, having spent a little time there…but let me cast my vote for the Z in this poll. They occupy the friendly niche that the Vette did a generation ago, of a midsize workhorse drivetrain installed in a small tossable package. And I like orange. 🙂
Not a diesel… at least not in a Unimog. They’ve always been gasoline / petrol motors. Go Unimog go! Crush the car. 🙂