‘The HOF Sir Class honours one of motorsport’s most decorated champions – a modern knight who has defied expectations and redefined racing. With seven world championships, the model pays tribute to a man whose influence transcends the track, embodying style, performance and unwavering leadership.’ So reckons Mercedes modifiers HOF Manufaktur of Sir Lewis Hamilton, and it’s hard to imagine anyone with even a passing knowledge of F1 disputing any letter of their claim. This weekend LH will race for Mercedes-AMG for the very last time, before his move to Ferrari, and to mark the occasion this amazing G63 is being unveiled at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Like pretty much every other G of the 21st century, the Sir Class ain’t subtle, but if you’re going to lean into an F1 theme then might as well go the whole hog. The paint is the most obvious giveaway, inspired by the famous livery with the silver fading into black and turquoise accents; the latter even extends to the wheels, 23-inch forged items with carbon covers. HOF suggests that ‘these bespoke wheels embody the Sir Class’s racing heritage and unwavering commitment to innovation.’ Which might be contested just a little more, but certainly they suit the aesthetic. Especially with a 30mm ride height drop.
This mega G isn’t all style over substance, either, as the ‘63 comes with ceramic brakes (clasped by Petronas Green calipers, of course), an option not available on the standard AMG. And then there’s the small matter of more than 1,000hp. It hasn’t been made clear exactly how they bumped the mega 4×4 from 585hp to 1,063hp and more than 180mph, though we’d have to assume some fairly serious hardware tweaks (turbos, intercoolers, maybe internals too) as well as ECU fiddling and a silly exhaust. Which is still side exit, thank goodness.
If the exterior, complete with that paint scheme, the wheels and even a carbon bonnet, is pretty bold, the inside of the Sir Edition is arguably more attention grabbing still. The F1-style wheel feels pretty unavoidable (and perhaps quite cool), the rectangular shape a total transformation from stock. And almost quite small given the vastness of everything else inside. There’s more Petronas Green, including the Yas Marina circuit stitched into the headlining, plus Nappa leather everywhere, then open pore carbon and gunmetal trim. If fairly courageous as a spec, it’s far from the silliest G63 interior we’ve seen. HOF says the interior changes ‘go beyond mere homage; they create a direct connection to the team’s rich heritage, immersing the driver in the thrill of the track.’ Seems odd, then, to start with a G63 and not an AMG GT or similar, but we all know which is likely to generate more demand.
Speaking of which, HOF says just 11 such G63s will be converted, with a price in the region of half a million pounds. The reports seen thus far are suggesting that the Sir Class will be limited only to sales in the UAE, which would make some sense, though there would surely be interested parties elsewhere. The market for modified Gs is a large one, after all – just take one look at the classifieds…