Mansory Body Kit for Mercedes G500 4x4² Gronos Black Desert
Mansory Gronos Black Desert — Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² (W463, 2015–2018)
Gronos Black Desert is the desert-finish variant of the Mansory Gronos wide programme for the Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² — the four-wheel portal-axle G-class Mercedes-AMG built between 2015 and 2018 in a limited run. Where the standard Gronos preset reads as a city-spec luxury wide G, Black Desert leans the visual language toward dune-rally — matte-finished carbon, tan-and-black wheel detailing, skid-bar geometry on the bumpers, mud-tyre clearance preserved. The mechanical kit underneath is the same Mansory Gronos hardware; the finish package is what changes.
Owners who want the standard, gloss-language Gronos visual register run that conversation through the Gronos W463 page or the Gronos Facelift page — those builds use the same flare set with a different finish brief. Black Desert is the matte-everything spec.
The donor — G500 4×4², the road-legal portal-axle G
The G500 4×4² (squared) is the W463 G-class Mercedes-Benz Special Vehicles built on portal axles between 2015 and 2018. Portal axles raise the diff offset above the wheel centre, producing 450 mm ground clearance against ~235 mm on a regular G500. Donor specs: M278 4.0 V8 biturbo (post-2015 facelift M276 in some early cars; Mansory builds the kit to the V8 spec), 422 PS in M278 trim, 4,790 mm overall length, 2,135 mm width over flares, 2,550 kg curb. The 4×4² ran in low numbers and the road-legal civilian production stopped in 2018; surviving cars trade through specialist dealers at multiples of original sticker.
Why a desert finish on a road-legal portal-axle G
The 4×4² was always positioned as the road-legal expression of military-spec hardware — portal axles, raised approach and departure angles, mud-tyre dimensioning, lockable diffs. Most 4×4² owners run the cars in city environments, not desert ones — but the desert language reads coherently on the chassis because the hardware says off-road. Mansory's Black Desert finish leans into that visual logic: matte-black flares, tan-piped door cards in the cabin, sand-coloured stitching on the seats, and a satin-tan accent on the M-series wheels. The car still drives like a city G — the finish is cosmetic — but the kerb register changes from luxury wide to expedition wide.
Carbon parts — Gronos hardware, Black Desert finish
The Gronos Black Desert build replaces both bumpers and bonds carbon flares onto the OEM steel fenders. This is the standard Gronos carbon programme; the Black Desert delta is finish, not panel count.
- Front bumper assembly — full carbon replacement with skid-bar geometry below the splitter, integrated brake-cooling cuts, OEM headlight pass-through retained
- Vented bonnet — full carbon bonnet replacement with two functional NACA cuts, matte clear-coat finish on the visible weave (Black Desert spec) versus high-gloss on the standard Gronos
- Bonded fender flares — front and rear, +35 mm per side at the front axle and +40 mm per side at the rear, dimensioned to clear 305-section all-terrain tyres on the M-series 22"
- Side step under-runners — carbon skid plates below the OEM portal-axle running boards, visually extending the wheelbase line
- Rear bumper assembly — full carbon replacement with integrated diffuser and quad-pipe exhaust cutout
- Spare-wheel cover — flat carbon plate over the rear-mounted spare in matte finish, with the Mansory "M" emblem in satin-tan
- Roof rail covers and snorkel guard — small carbon trim pieces specific to the Black Desert spec, omitted on the standard Gronos finish
Bonded flares require body-shop work. The build runs 10 to 14 days at a Mansory-experienced shop, with the carbon panels finished in Black Desert matte-clear rather than the high-gloss clear used on the standard Gronos build.
Wheels — M-series forged 22" in tan-and-black
The matched wheel is the Mansory M-series fully forged 22" wheel — the same forging as the standard Gronos build, finished in matte black with a satin-tan accent ring. The OEM 22" 4×4² wheel is a cast all-terrain unit at significant unsprung mass; the Mansory forging trims roughly 5 kg per corner. The forging clears the OEM portal-axle hardware without spacers and pairs with the OEM Mercedes TPMS sensor architecture. The wheel range, including the standard finishes for the city-Gronos build, sits at the forged wheel collection.
Powerbox + sport exhaust — M278 V8 numbers
Stock M278 in the 4×4² makes 422 PS / 610 Nm. With the Mansory Powerbox and sport exhaust the channel rises to roughly 510 PS / 720 Nm — a +88 PS / +110 Nm gain. On a 2,550 kg vehicle the change is felt in mid-range torque rather than as a 0–100 km/h time-attack delta; the 4×4² was never quick against a clock. The sport exhaust runs the OEM tip layout with a Black Desert quad-tip in matte black and a valved muffler — no header swap, no cat replacement.
Interior — desert palette
The Black Desert cabin spec is the visual differentiator from the standard Gronos. Sport steering wheel with carbon spoke-back, metal pedals, carbon inlays for the centre stack and door pulls. Above that, the Black Desert palette: tan Alcantara headliner (the standard Gronos uses black), tan-and-black two-tone seat retrim with sand-coloured contrast piping, tan-stitched dashboard topper, Black Desert plaque on the centre console. The OEM Mercedes COMAND multimedia stays factory.
Donor scope
The kit is dimensioned for the 2015–2018 Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4² with the M278 V8. It does not fit:
- The regular W463 G500 / G63 AMG (covered by the Mansory Gronos and Wide Body programmes)
- The W464 G-class (2018+, post-facelift, different chassis architecture) — covered by the W463A Star Trooper and Gronos Facelift programmes
- The G63 AMG 6×6 (covered by a separate Mansory programme for the six-wheel chassis)
Material and care notes for matte-finished carbon parts — Black Desert specifically uses a matte clear-coat that requires gentler care than gloss carbon — are documented in the carbon fibre care guide; general background sits in the complete body kit guide.
Worldwide shipping & quoting
The 4×4² owner geography is heavily Gulf-skewed — most road-legal Black Desert builds register in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Hodoor World ships pre-assembled crates with paint-pattern documentation to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Monaco via DHL or DSV freight forwarding. Pricing on request via [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 7488 818747; quotes specify Black Desert finish so the matte clear-coat carbon ships with the correct paint code.
FAQ
Can I get the matte Black Desert finish on the standard Gronos parts?
Yes. Mansory will finish the standard Gronos carbon panels in Black Desert matte-clear on commission, separately from a full Black Desert build. Owners who want the visual finish without the cabin retrim and the satin-tan wheel ring can spec it that way. The pricing delta versus a standard Gronos build is in the finish workload, not in panel count.
Does Black Desert affect the off-road capability of the 4×4²?
No. The portal axles, the diff lockers, the approach/departure angles and the mud-tyre clearance are unchanged. The Mansory build is body-side; the running gear stays factory. The 4×4² remains an extreme-clearance off-road vehicle with Mansory body trim.
How does the matte clear-coat hold up to UV in Gulf climates?
Matte clear-coat is more sensitive to UV degradation than high-gloss clear-coat — Mansory uses a UV-stabilised matte system that holds finish for approximately 5–7 years in Gulf-climate exposure before re-finishing is recommended. The carbon fibre care guide linked above documents the care regime.
Can I run the Black Desert finish on a regular G500 (not 4×4²)?
Mansory does not catalogue Black Desert as a finish on the standard Gronos kit for non-4×4² G-classes — the desert language was specifically designed around the portal-axle chassis. A bespoke commission could request matte-clear finish on a regular Gronos build, but that would be an off-catalogue spec routed through the Brand-Ambassador department.
Will the Powerbox affect the AMG-powered 4×4² warranty?
The 4×4² is past its OEM warranty window in 2026 — the youngest cars built are over seven years old. Service is mostly handled by AMG-specialist independents at this point, and the Powerbox does not introduce reliability concerns the M278 V8 cannot tolerate.
