The Pope has had a lot of cool and sometimes weird rides over the years, with Popemobiles ranging from Fiat Pandas and Mercedes-Benz MLs to Kia Souls and Jeep Wranglers. Probably the best and most iconic Popemobiles are based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, first a W460-series 230G in the 1980s and then a later W463 G500 starting in 2002. Now the Pope is getting a new car, and it’s based on the fully electric Mercedes G580.
This marks the first time the Popemobile will be an EV, as Fisker never delivered its planned Ocean Popemobile, and it’s launching in time for the 2025 Jubilee, a once-every-25-years event that sees millions of pilgrims coming to Rome. Mercedes says the project was managed by a team in Rome, the electric drivetrain (with special tuning for low-speed driving) was developed in the G-Class’s hometown of Graz, Austria, and the custom bodywork and interior was produced in Sindelfingen, Germany.
From the A-Pillar forward the Popemobile looks pretty much like any other G580, though the lower intakes have a unique design and there’s a flag at each front fender. Behind the front doors, the G580 has a custom pickup-like body with one swiveling central seat sitting high in the bed, and the passenger side gets a suicide door for easy access. At the rear, there’s an open back and prominent steps for security to stand on, and railings run along the open body. It has a removable hardtop with a large glass canopy that protects occupants from bad weather. The G’s interior is finished in a custom all-white scheme with red carpets that looks really incredible. And of course, it has those perfect monoblock wheels. It’s just a shame it doesn’t have gold badges like the first Popemobile G-Class.
The G-wagen was delivered to Pope Francis in Rome, with Mercedes’ global CEO Ola Källenius, member of the board Britta Seeger and CEO of Mercedes Italy Marc Langenbrinck all in attendance. The Pope also met with the team that designed and built the new Popemobile. Apparently Pope Francis is big on sustainability, so the Vatican is excited to be moving toward a carbon-neutral future. I’m just glad he’s back in a G-Class.
