Kene will be the first to tell you he’s not a ‘car guy’. Well, not in the way people expect, anyway. He doesn’t lead with specs or performance figures, and he’s not trying to break down engine details. In fact, when asked what sits under the hood of his Mercedes-AMG G63, his answer was a very straightforward, ‘Honestly, I don’t know… Zero idea.’
He does understand what the G-Wagon represents beyond specs and engine details, though. He sees that reaction whenever he pulls up somewhere, and it is part of why he bought the car.
KENE shares EVERYTHING that comes with Owning A G-Wagon | OWNER’S CORNER EP4
‘When you pull up in a G-Wagon, everybody knows… that guy has class.’
In Lagos, from Kene’s experience, your car does not just move you; it speaks before you do. Owning a G-Wagon speaks to a mix of three epic elements: wealth, ego and class. To him, it feels like you’ve arrived.
But performance and speed are not really his thing. Kene is not even a big fan of driving. Not knowing the specs is one thing, but buying a G63 and refusing to push it is what makes his story funny. Still, it does not bother him.
A Powerful Car, Driven Carefully
The Mercedes G63 is a car known globally for its aggressive presence and performance, but Kene’s driving style almost feels like a contradiction.
He casually admits that he doesn’t exceed 50 km/hr, adding that speed isn’t just something he avoids—he actually fears it.
So what about everything the G63 can actually do? It goes mostly untouched. That deep, sharp engine tone people associate with the G-Wagon? He’s only properly experienced it once—and not even while he was driving.
When he tried pushing it himself, a pothole in Lekki caused enough damage to the grille of the car, forcing a replacement. Even features like sport mode, which are built to enhance performance, exist more as an exciting possibility for him than a go-to feature.
In Kene’s Relationship with the G63, It’s What’s Inside that Matters.
Since performance was not the main attraction for him, something else had to be. The forex trader has always leaned toward Mercedes, but for him, the real appeal sits inside. He points to the cabin, especially the ambient rooftop lighting he installed himself, which completely changes the mood.
He also likes the height. Sitting above the road gives him a different kind of perspective, one that stands out without trying too hard. Add the soft lighting and sound system, and the space becomes less about driving and more about how it feels to be in it. It’s easy to understand why he says it feels like a club.
Kene’s G63 Wagon | Source: 234Drive
He follows up on the earlier point about class by talking about how Lagos sees the car. For him, it is not something you can ignore. The moment the G63 shows up, people notice and start trying to figure out who is stepping out of it.
It is something Kene says you have to manage. Not reacting too much by letting it get into your head, but also not acting like it is not happening. According to him, there is a way to carry yourself when you drive a car like that. You have to act like your car.
Before the G63, his GLE could be parked almost anywhere without much attention. Now, he gets directed to certain spots where the cars around him are just as expensive.
It even shows when buying fuel. There is hardly any waiting. Attendants notice the car and move him to the front of the queue. It might be a small detail, but it says a lot about how the car changes the Lagos driving experience in daily life.
At the mall one day, after shopping, he came back to find people taking pictures around the car. As he got closer, they seemed to assume he was just another passerby. Then he reached the car, unlocked it and got in. That was when the looks changed.
Oh, Kene was nice enough to let them finish their pictures before driving off.
The Cost Behind the Image
Richie of 234Drive asked Kene about the cost, and he was quick to declare the hefty price tag of ₦340 million, but even quicker to clarify that the number was just one part of what ownership entailed financially.
The cost of driving a ₦340 million G-Wagon in Lagos. | Source: 234Drive
He uses the car about four times a week, yet fuel still comes to roughly ₦500,000 monthly.
Then there is maintenance. His mechanic handles most of it, picks up the car and sends the bill after. Tyres, rims and other parts may sound like small things, but the costs add up quickly. These are things he says anyone looking to buy one should think about, especially in Lagos.
The roads are not always forgiving, and with a car like this, even small damage can cost a lot. At times, he moves with a security escort, more for the car than for himself.
From Honda to Camry to GLE, then the G63
Kene’s relationship with cars did not start with the G-Wagon.
The Honda Accord Anaconda was his first car. He got it just before finishing university. It was not that deep; he just needed something to move around with.
Kene’s first car was the 2008 Honda Accord, AKA Anaconda
Not long after, the Camry muscle came in. More stable and more grown-up. At that point, it was just everyday driving. He rotated the Camry with the Anaconda.
Then in 2020, he got the GLE. That was his first Mercedes, and you could tell things were starting to level up.
But the G63 is different. For Kene, it is the dream Mercedes car he had always wanted. The one he spoke about before it happened. The car purchase that, in his words, shows that you have ‘arrived’.
And funnily enough, since he got the G63 about seven months ago, his GLE has not left the car park.
Watch the full video to hear Kene speak about owning a G-Wagon in Lagos, what it really costs, and what happened when he let us drive it.
