Few vehicles embody utilitarian toughness like the Mercedes-Benz 250 GD. Known as the “Wolf” in service with the German military, this variant of the rugged Mercedes-Benz G-Class spent decades enduring punishing conditions in NATO fleets, emergency services, and combat environments. But in the hands of Expedition Motor Company, these battered workhorses are reborn as meticulously restored luxury off-roaders – now available with an unexpected twist: a 430-horsepower LS3 V8 engine.
Founded in 2017 by entrepreneur Alex Levin, the New Jersey-based firm began with a singular mission: restoring the Wolf beyond the original factory specification. “The original goal was to build period-correct, authentically restored Wolfs,” EMC product director Paul Stehn tells duPont REGISTRY. “For a long time, we were doing the original inline-five that originally came in the Wolf, the OM602 2.5-liter single overhead cam diesel.”
That engine, produced between 1985 and 2002 and often referred to as a “million-mile” powerplant for its durability, established the tone for EMC’s early builds. Soon afterward, the company began offering more modern Mercedes diesel upgrades. “Then we started introducing some of the more modern engines – the OM605 and OM606 turbo diesels – which are great,” says Stehn. “It kind of fell right in line for us because you still get to maintain the Mercedes-Benz engine under the hood. It’s still a diesel, so for the purist – the person who wants to keep everything Mercedes – that’s great.”
But the clientele for these restored G-Class icons began asking for something different.
“What you see here is really the result of too many people asking and us saying no too many times!” Stehn admits with a laugh. “People have been asking for the LS V8 for a very long time for a number of reasons. A lot of folks who buy our trucks are coming from Defenders or Broncos, so it’s a platform where they’re familiar with the LS. They know it and they like it.”
The result is EMC’s most powerful Wolf yet: a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 producing 430 horsepower, paired with a GM-sourced 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission.
From Military Survivor to Bespoke Luxury
Every EMC build begins with a carefully sourced donor truck. “All the builds we do are actually ex-military,” Stehn says. “This model is the 250 GD from 1990 to 1993… the W461. The 461 was the nomenclature that the military vehicles got – emergency services, NATO militaries, things like that.”
The trucks arrive after years of hard service, requiring extensive rehabilitation. EMC dismantles each vehicle down to its bare frame before beginning a painstaking rebuild. In the company’s shop, every Wolf is disassembled completely – down to the final bolt. Body panels are stripped to bare metal and treated with EMC’s Advanced Corrosion Armor Treatment, while specialists repair years of wear, corrosion, and even combat damage. “Let’s just say we have gotten really good at patching bullet holes,” the company’s website jokes.
From there, the body enters a climate-controlled paint suite where anti-corrosion treatments, primer, and premium finishes are applied. Meanwhile, mechanical and electrical systems are rebuilt from scratch, ensuring every truck emerges essentially new beneath its vintage skin. The cabin is equally transformed. Veteran seamstresses craft bespoke interior elements using weatherproof materials designed to balance durability with comfort. The result blends classic G-Class utility with subtle luxury touches.
“It’s taken down to the last bolt,” Stehn explains. “The body is taken down to bare metal, and it’s built from the ground up. What we’ve tried to do is keep it authentic and maintain that analog vintage character while also making sure people are comfortable and have some modern luxury.”
Those luxuries include air conditioning, heated seats, and wireless Apple CarPlay – deliberately chosen additions that elevate usability without diluting the truck’s spartan appeal.
A Carefully Curated Production
Unlike many restomod builders, EMC controls its entire supply chain of donor vehicles.
“We source all the donor vehicles ourselves; we don’t take any outside vehicles,” Stehn says. “At all times we try to maintain about a four- to five-year pipeline of donor vehicles. We have about 150 that are just waiting to be restored.”
Clients commission each build through a bespoke ordering process, specifying powertrain, exterior finish, and interior details. Because bodies are continuously being restored in advance, new orders often slot into builds already underway. “Realistically, when someone secures a build slot, their body has probably been in production for two or three months already,” Stehn says.
Despite growing demand, EMC remains deliberately small.
“Over 175,” Stehn says when asked how many trucks have been completed since the company’s founding. “We do 24 a year. It really was a passion project for Alex, and we don’t have any plans of scaling to 50 a year.”
The Appeal of V8 Power
Under the hood of the LS-powered Wolf, the swap looks surprisingly natural. The compact dimensions of the small-block V8 fit neatly into the G-Class engine bay.
“It’s funny because when you hear ‘V8,’ you think it’s going to be this monstrous thing, but the small blocks fit,” Stehn says. “Wiring harnesses are new – everything. We strip everything out and rebuild it.”
Performance gains are substantial. While the OM605 produces roughly 225 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque – and the OM606 increases output to 275 horsepower and 350 pound-feet – the LS3’s 430 horsepower represents a dramatic leap. “There’s quite a climb through all the engines,” Stehn notes.
The drivetrain receives similar upgrades. “The original manuals – since they’re military vehicles – pretty much first and second gear are shot on every single one we do,” Stehn says. “You have to think about it: you have young guys beating them in the military.”
The solution is a new transmission altogether: “a GM engine and GM transmission – a 6L80 six-speed automatic.”
A New Life for an Old Warrior
Each completed Wolf undergoes around 400 miles of testing to ensure everything – from piston rings to camshafts – settles in properly before delivery. After roughly six months, the truck is ready for its new owner, who receives regular updates throughout the process from founder Levin.
In the end, the appeal lies in the unlikely fusion of extremes: a battle-hardened military vehicle reimagined as a luxury off-road companion. For EMC, that balance is the entire point. “We try to keep that analog vintage character,” Stehn says, “while making sure people are comfortable.”
I take Paul’s Wolf for a quick spin around Wynwood, Miami’s famously graffiti-splashed arts district, where brightly painted murals compete for attention alongside plenty of supercars and customs. Even here, our China Blue short-wheelbase G-Wagen draws attention. As we pause at a junction, admiring glances drift over from the alfresco coffee shops and bakeries lining the street on this crisp Friday morning.
One local crosses the road in front of us, nods appreciatively, and offers a simple verdict: “Cool car.” In a neighborhood not easily impressed, that counts as high praise indeed.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF EXPEDITION MOTOR COMPANY, CHARLES BRADLEY
