---
title: "Watch This Mercedes-Benz-Swapped, 600-HP ‘Jeep’ Off-Roader Tear up the Track"
description: "It also has a BMW transmission and Nissan Patrol axles."
date: "2019-11-12"
modified: "2019-11-13"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/30961/watch-this-mercedes-benz-swapped-600-hp-jeep-off-roader-tear-up-the-track"
categories:
  - "Jeep News"
  - "Mercedes-Benz News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "Jeep"
---

# Watch This Mercedes-Benz-Swapped, 600-HP ‘Jeep’ Off-Roader Tear up the Track

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-11-at-6.01.24-PM.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

There are [off-road-prepped Jeeps](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/27300/2020-jeep-gladiator-review-master-of-the-midsize-pickup-truck-arena>) and then there is *this* off-road-prepped Jeep. Granted, it's not actually a Jeep Wrangler but a custom-built, high-performance buggy made to look like a Jeep. But still, it rocks.

According to its builder [Dion den Braber](<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMh2wKlqIPFSVcbuAPZ0CIQ>), the wannabe Jeep is actually a Frankenstein creation in its own right. As the video's caption explains, the nutty buggy rocks its fair share of parts from automakers from all across the globe, starting with the main attraction: the Mercedes-Benz engine. Described as a Mercedes-Benz OM606, the German automaker originally installed the 3.0-liter inline-six motor in a variety of cars between 1993 and 2001, but most notably the wide range of models found in the E-Class.

https://youtube.com/embed/BxWvaSpQTBk

The engine reportedly makes 600 horsepower with the help of a custom Holset turbocharger that cranks out 21 pounds of boost, a twin-scroll manifold, and a variety of other performance-enhancing parts. All that power is routed to all four wheels via a [BMW Xdrive gearbox](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/26611/2019-bmw-x5-xdrive-40i-test-drive-review-dont-hate-on-this-all-new-luxury-suv-luxuriate>), as well as Nissan Patrol axles. While it's not perfectly outlined where the build lives, it appears to be New Zealand, which explains the variety of goodies available for purchase \[UPDATE: It's Belgium\].

While it's interesting to read the lengthy parts list outlined in the video's description, the best part of this video is actually watching the buggy tear up the off-road course. The engine produces a feisty sound that most of us would associate with an [American V8](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/30317/chevrolets-corvette-c8-r-race-car-uses-a-dohc-5-5-liter-flat-plane-crank-v-8>), and the whole thing simply performs flawlessly—especially the long-travel suspension, which soaks up bumps like they don't exist and help the thing corner on a dime.

This entire project may have been finished last year, but it's never too late to witness a true automotive mash-up go buck-wild.

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)