In 1979 the Stuttgart-based company began producing a completely new range of models, off-road vehicles that were the result of a partnership between Daimler-Benz and the Austrian Stayer Puch. This, then, was the series "G", cars capable of providing excellent off-road performance while retaining the cruising comfort for which Mercedes Benz is renowned. An immediate success, the series "G" was to pave the way for further success by Mercedes in this sector.The 230 G was originally equipped with a straight 4-cylinder 2308 cc 90 HP engine: more powerful engine versions would later be developed. One such model, specially adapted for the occasion, won the 1982 edition of the famous Paris-Dakar race, with J. Ickx and C. Brasseur trouncing a group of seasoned competitors after a long, hard-fought race.