It might not be as pretty as ‘Chelsea tractors’ from the likes of Range Rover or Porsche, but the GL500 4x4 prototype beats such rivals hands down when it comes to off-road prowess.

Indeed, the 450mm ground clearance, the 22 inch wheels and the bi-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine might all seem, if anything, a little too much. And will anyone want a beast that comes in at 2.25m tall? With the Mercedes-Benz badge on it, quite possibly.

Those stats may seem a little ridiculous, but the new GL500 4x4 is much more down-to-earth than its six-wheeled predecessor, the AMG 6X6. But Mercedes Benz still managed to sell more than 100 of those.

The GL500 benefits from twin turbos that deliver a fast warm-up, quick response and full compliancy with Euro 6 emissions.

Boasting some 416bhp, this off-roader packs a serious punch, but the stat that really underpins this vehicle's specialness is the 470lb ft of torque output.

All the necessary hardware to make this magic happen had brought the weight up to a hefty 3,000kg – but it's still fast: initial reviews have estimated a 0-62mph figure of around eight seconds.

And what is truly remarkable about the GL500 is that it can attain such speeds no matter what the terrain is like.

Additionally, with Mercedes-Benz behind this beast, reliability is unlikely to be an issue. Indeed, this might be the kind of machine that car breakdown cover providers might use in the future – because it has the ability to effect a recovery from almost anywhere!

Not a toy that will be of much use for many of us – but that won't stop people wanting one.

Take a look at the machine in this Telegraph review.