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The Mercedes-Benz G-class - otherwise known as the Gelandewagen - celebrates its thirtieth birthday this year. There are plenty of contemporary models that are riding streaks longer than that, but none of them have done so in quite the same manner as the G-wagen. You see, this isn't just a thirty-year-old nameplate; it's a thirty-year-old vehicle. A heavily updated one, to be sure, but still the same box Mercedes rolled out when Jimmy Carter was president and Journey hit number sixteen on the Billboard charts with "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'." Not to belabor the point, but this rig hit the streets the same year that the Gairy dictatorship in Grenada was overthrown by the New Jewel Movement. Gosh, does that make me feel old.

Miles to Date: 8653
Months in Fleet: Four

This may look like a run-of-the-mill Nissan Cube, but in order to grasp its importance, you need to think outside - or underneath, rather - the box. You're looking at an early prototype for Nissan's forthcoming electric vehicle, due late next year.