Mercedes-Benz G63, Night Black Magno

Few cars have made the leap from military tool to status object as completely as the G-Class, and the AMG G63 is where that arc reaches its loud conclusion. The body is still the upright, slab-sided shape that has barely changed in profile since 1979 (separate wings, exposed door hinges, the spare wheel hung off the tailgate), but underneath sits a twin-turbo V8 and the running gear to make two-and-a-half tonnes move like something far lower to the ground. The Panamericana grille, the side-exit exhausts ahead of the rear wheels and the red calipers behind the multi-spoke wheels mark out the AMG version: a vehicle bought as much for the city kerb as the off-road trail, and one that has become a fixture of Gulf collections in particular.

The finish here is Night Black Magno, the factory matte that turns the G's flat panels into something that reads as sculpture rather than paint: every shut line and rivet stands out where gloss would hide them. It is built at 1:18 on a presentation base, with the satin surface, blacked-out wheels and red calipers all carried through.