There are builds, and then there are statements.

The vehicle standing before me belongs firmly in the second category.

The starting point is an INEOS Grenadier Quartermaster Trialmaster: the long-wheelbase workhorse of the Grenadier family. A perfectly good machine in stock form. It’s comfortable, solid, and more than capable of hauling you and your kit across a continent. On a personal note, I’ve driven a Quartermaster more than 20,000 km on-road, over mountain passes, in scorching deserts, and across polar ice fields…out of the box, it’s pretty damned good. But Matzker never cared much for leaving things “good enough.” Not when the hardware exists to transform potential into something truly exceptional.

Enter the MG6-Commando, a Quartermaster lifted not by springs or body blocks, but by something far more serious: LeTech-engineered portal axles. The very same type that gave the Mercedes G its legendary stance and ability to push on when others ground to a halt.

Except these aren’t Mercedes units. And that distinction matters. Because this isn’t built for show. It isn’t experimental. It isn’t a prototype. This is the real thing. Proven parts. Proven performance. A conversion that, according to Matzker’s Bernhard Körner, drives better than the standard vehicle, both on and off the road.

That’s not a claim anyone in the Land Rover world makes lightly.

Portal Axles Done Properly

First, let’s get one thing straight: portal axles are nothing new. They’ve been bolted to fire service trucks, forestry vehicles, Arctic rigs, and military transports for decades. However, they are often misunderstood, poorly sourced, or badly implemented in the civilian 4×4 world.

Anyone who’s ever stepped into a home-built hybrid with Volvo Laplander portals or a monstrous axle lift knows the feeling: noise, vibration, geometry issues, erratic steering, questionable reliability. Builds that look heroic but are a death wish at speed.

Bernhard shares this sentiment without hesitation. “There are so many catastrophic conversions. I wouldn’t want one even if you gave it to me,” he says. “If I’m honest, we’ve never really taken much interest in the concept because we simply don’t have the manpower to develop something on our own.”

The turning point came when Andreas Lennartz—founder of LeTech GmbH & Co KG, an OEM supplier for Mercedes-Benz, and the man behind the G-Wagen’s most respected portal systems—handed Bernhard the keys to a Grenadier they had converted and told him to take it for a test drive.

Bernhard expected the usual story: an impressive stance, frightening dynamics. What he got instead was something entirely different.

“It was a revelation. After the first few metres, you actually forget you’re sitting in such an imposing car. You can push it up to 160 km/h on the Autobahn, just as you would a stock model.”

A portal-axled truck that drives as well as the standard model? That stops the conversation.

A portal-axled truck that drives better? That starts a whole new one.

And that is precisely what the MG6-Commando is.

Why This Conversion Works

OEM-Grade Portal Engineering

These portals aren’t aftermarket aspirations. They’re developed by the same engineer who supplied Mercedes with the only portals that ever truly worked. (When the factory later switched to in-house designs, problems followed, including recalls.)

These units? They’re the ones with the track record. The ones that “perform faultlessly.”

The Quartermaster still uses its original axles, but they are reinforced, adapted, and engineered to accept the portals with full integrity. Nothing guessworked. No corners cut.

A Ride That Defies Expectations

The most shocking aspect of the build isn’t the clearance, the stance, or the capability; it’s the refinement.

Portal axles are usually burdened with compromise: noise, driveline stress, vague steering. Here, none of that applies.

Instead:

• High-speed stability remains excellent.
• Ride quality is surprisingly good.
• The vehicle tracks straight and true.
• Handling remains predictable.

You can give the keys to someone who’s never driven anything more than a stock SUV and they’d manage fine. This is a game-changer.

Underneath & Out Of Sight

Portal axles alone don’t make the MG6-Commando what it is. They’re just the beginning.

Heavy-Duty Underfloor Protection

The Quartermaster receives Matzker’s full underbody armour, constructed from 8 mm aviation-grade aluminium—the strongest material the market has to offer.

This isn’t thin aluminium sheet shaped into optimism. This is protection that has already logged 80,000 km on a test vehicle in real off-road conditions, including “enemy contact.”

The result:

• Surface scratches.
• Zero deformation.
• Zero displaced mounting points.
• Zero crushed housings.

That’s the difference between a system made for show and one designed to survive real world punishment.

Suspension Overhaul

Portal axles raise the entire driveline. That means geometry changes, centre-of-gravity changes, and loads the original Quartermaster suspension was never asked to handle.

So, Matzker replaces the entire system:

• Heavy-duty springs
• Reinforced dampers
• Full recalibration
• Height-appropriate bump stops
• Corrected travel characteristics

The goal: preserve handling, increase capability, and avoid the “top-heavy” feeling commonly experienced in lifted trucks.

High-Performance Brakes

A vehicle with more mass, more leverage, and more tyre requires the appropriate stopping power.

The MG6-Commando receives a properly engineered, big-brake upgrade: discs, pads, callipers…all specifically spec’d for the increased rotational mass.

Once again, this isn’t cosmetic, it’s functional. And non-negotiable.

Steering Damper, Re-Engineered

There’s been a lot of chatter on the internet about the Grenadier’s steering characteristics, something a lifted solid-axle rig could certainly worsen.

Matzker’s solution is pragmatic:

• A new steering damper
• Correct geometry
• Correct preload
• Correct alignment

The end result? “You won’t find any of the shortcomings you see on the internet here.”

Wheels and Tyres

The portals aren’t the only reason the Commando stands so tall. The truck runs a size that is, in Bernhard’s words, “typical for radical American builds,” BFGoodrich MudTerrain 37×12.50 R18: aggressive and built for traction.

The tyres are mounted on 9Jx18H2 ET55 forged aluminium wheels with a black finish.

But the key point is this: This wheel/tyre combination gives the Quartermaster a footprint that no stock configuration can match. Unlike typical big-tyre conversions, however, the driveline is designed to cope with it.

Useful Accessories

Sensible additions include:

• Rock sliders to protect the sills and act as a step
• Roof platform for carrying kit or a rooftop tent
• Auxiliary roof-mounted lamps

Everyday Reality: The Surprising Part

You’d expect a build like this to be brutal. Loud. Harsh. Inconvenient. A machine that demands respect from the driver and indifference from the passengers. But the MG6-Commando refuses to behave like a monster.

According to Matzker:

• Daily usability remains intact.
• Comfort barely changes.
• Handling stays predictable.
• Nothing becomes unmanageable.

The only real compromise? “We’re not using any multi-storey carparks anytime soon.” Fair enough.

Reverse cameras are recommended because the rear bed sits higher and the visual geometry changes. But beyond that, you could drive this thing to the bakery at 7am without waking the neighbours or putting your back out.

Perhaps the most astonishing part of the entire build is that: The Commando looks extreme, but behaves civilised.

You don’t need to be a Dakar veteran or an ex-military driver. Hand the keys to anyone with a licence, point them towards a mountain track, and they’ll get to where they want to go. That’s engineering confidence…disguised as simplicity.

Who Is This Vehicle For?

Bernhard answers with his characteristic honesty: “For everyone and nobody.”

A portal-axled Quartermaster is not something anyone needs, unless you’re in the fire service, disaster response, or are a specialist operator. But, as with all serious modifications, the real purpose lies in intent and desire.

Some reasons why owners consider this build:

Reliability in the Middle of Nowhere

If your trips take you far beyond recovery networks, every extra centimetre of clearance equals insurance.

The Last 2% of Capability

Most people will never need to climb a boulder field or ford a deep wash. But if that’s where your journey takes you, the Commando can handle it. Easily.

Engineering Enthusiasm

Some builds exist simply because someone appreciates what’s mechanically possible.

Travel Confidence

As Bernhard puts it: “If you’re an overlander looking for the ultimate in safety, capability, and reassurance that you’ll reach your destination, then this car will take you places others simply can’t.”

The Joy of Driving Something Extraordinary

Let’s not pretend passion doesn’t matter. Some machines simply spark something inside.

Is there anything missing?

A sensible, purpose-driven power philosophy. Bernhard explained that this build wasn’t commissioned by a customer, so he deliberately decided not to add Matzker’s performance enhancement. But, he adds: “If the future owner plans to use this car for serious driving, then the upgrade is a no-brainer.”

Matzker has seen too many cars become undrivable in low range when the ECU amplifies throttle signals. The Quartermaster already modifies the throttle maps when shifting into low range, so doubling that effect is a quick path to disaster.

Bernhard is blunt: “That’s the worst thing anyone can do.”

Instead, Matzker’s optional performance upgrade is at engine management level, torque-based, and usable:

• +50 horsepower
• +130 Nm of torque
• Maintains a smooth, predictable power band
• Keeps the diesel character intact
• No twitchiness, no low-speed chaos

It turns the Quartermaster from a hardworking diesel into something closer to a long-distance grand tourer, especially when combined with the MG6-Commando’s features.

Final Thoughts

The MG6-Commando is much more than just a Quartermaster with portals. It’s a reimagined Quartermaster from the ground up.

A truck built with military-grade engineering, civilian usability, and expedition reliability. A vehicle that shocks you twice: first with its stance, and then with its drivability.

Most portal builds resemble weapons but drive like compromises. This one? It looks like a weapon and drives with precision.

And if you’re the kind of traveller who wants the most capable, most confidence-inspiring, most beautifully engineered version of the Grenadier platform available today…well, this is it.

Comparison Figures

Dimensions / Geometry	Stock Quartermaster	Matzker MG6-Commando
Overall length, mm	5400	5400
Width with mirrors, mm	2146	2146
Width without mirrors, mm	1943	2140
Height, mm	2019	2269
Track, mm	1645	1833
Ground clearance, mm	264	450
Approach angle, °	35.5	45.5
Ramp Breakover angle, °	26.2	39.5
Departure angle, °	22.6	38
Wading depth, mm	800	1050

MATZKER

Photography: Tristan Brailey | Jan Werner