Santa Monica, California. Land of the best waves, smooth (and often busy) roads, and a fair share of A-list celebrities. The automobile and the celebrity have been bound together since the birth of film, think of Elvis Presley and his fleet of Caddys, or the dozens of treasures Jerry Seinfield has amassed over the years. For most, though, California is a place where the G-Wagon reigns supreme, and whilst so many have set their ambitions on owning the newer, glitzier, faster, and immensely expensive G63 variants, there is now a cult following for the original Geländewagen, and its popularity has been undoubtably aided by the likes of Cole Walliser.
Cole is a true go-getter, a surfing, skating, photographing, fun-filled guy that may come across as relaxed as the Californian sunset. However, he's also someone who is incredibly passionate and motivated to create the best work possible. Despite residing in the sun-drenched paradise of Santa Monica, Cole is originally from Canada, known for their rugged mountain passes and ever-changing climate, making it ideal for an off roader.
Having found monumental success with his ‘Glambot’, a high-tech slow-motion camera that launches itself into the face of the likes of Brad Pitt, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, and many more. Name a celebrity, and there’s most likely a Glambot video of them. These videos are the perfect examples of a content gold mine, where Cole has worked with some of the world’s most prestigious film and TV award ceremonies, amassing over 2.4 million followers on his own Instagram page, and a staggering 11.1 million on his TikTok account. Even if you aren’t a follower of Cole across his social media empire, it’s likely you’ve seen at least one of his videos while scrolling. With such a manic schedule, Cole spends months working on large film projects and is constantly screen-bound, making his 1991 Mercedes-Benz G Wagon the perfect car to load up, head out, and switch off the craziness of the virtual world. With a mug of his very own coffee brand, ‘Café Colione’ in hand, complete with an enamel mug featuring the trusty G as the logo, we caught up with Cole to learn more about his dream machine.
"I simply wanted to be more adventurous, I wanted to go on more surf trips and camp out in the wilderness, but I knew I wanted something vintage and boxy, which left me with quite a small selection of vehicles to choose from. The Defender 90 was the obvious choice, but importing even a rough one into the US or even finding one already in the country was likely to set me back a lot, and so I looked at other options. I was working on set and chatting cars with some colleagues, when a guy announced he had a two-door G-Wagon tucked away in his shop collecting dust. It was old, boxy, and arguably cooler than the Defender. Despite not buying that specific one, I was hooked on the idea of one, and eventually found a super clean, all white diesel variant that I just had to own!"
We spoke a little more about the Defender, and how the worldwide market has well and truly exploded for the lovable, albeit temperamental British off-roader, and an early model G-Wagon or Land Cruiser is actually a much better option. We both agreed we still loved the Defender though, how can you not?
The idea of purchasing an old-school G-Wagen whilst living in a famously electrified area is an interesting one, and with Cole’s work based so heavily around the very latest videography tech and hours spent editing short films, I was keen to find out what attracted him to the separation between his ultra-modern work life and his very analogue daily driver. “I’m in the age of nostalgia for things like this, I collect analogue watches too, and have always loved the design and simplicity of a well-made wristwatch," says Cole, "This resonates with the car too, you jump in it and it transports you back to an era where technology was only starting to come into fruition."
Selfishly, having spent some time procrastinating on TikTok, I’ve watched many of Cole’s Glambot videos, and I was intrigued to find out which one was his personal favourite. “Ariana Grande must be perhaps the ‘perfect’ piece of content, where the positioning, camera angle and her outfit just worked so well." Cole continues, "The camera itself has become the new way to show red carpet content, with 13 people operating it to create the magic. The idea behind it means it has become the go-to for these glamorous events, being at the Oscars, Grammys, and People’s Choice Awards is still so surreal."
Having learned a bit more about his craft, we went back to G-Wagon chat, keen to discover more about the adventures he’s been on with his trusty automotive sidekick. “I’m from Vancouver, Canada, and during the pandemic I had no work on, and figured the ultimate road trip would be to travel from California and stop off at the many beauty spots along the way," Cole reflects, "It was the dream trip, parking up for the night and sleeping in the roof tent, coffee in boiling in the morning, it was a great way to escape from the craziness of the world for a little bit. The long drive back home though, not so much!”
Cole’s G-Wagon has also kicked up some dust in Yosemite, Joshua Tree, as well as rocky passes all over the east coast, and has transformed from a bone-stock machine into the perfect home-from-home. Fitted with lifted suspension, beefy off-road tyres, and a pop-up roof tent, it’s loaded with a combination of creature comforts and utilities to ensure he has everything he needs while out in the wilderness. Cole fills us in on his mods: “The car has gone through so many iterations now, and it’s crazy to see how much it has changed, but perhaps the most boring but essential modification was having working A/C! I now have solar panels within the truck, making charging camera batteries and working from pretty much anywhere makes it much easier to take work with me.”
What I got out of my chat with Cole was his passion for what he drives. This daily driven, diesel-powered, huge tyre-flaunting truck is an extension of his personality, where he uses it to travel to meetings across the state, and no doubt turning heads and generating smiles along the way. He could easily go out and get himself the latest EV like everyone else, but where’s the fun in that? We spoke in depth around using a car like this every day and shared an admiration for other adventure-loving influencers like Brock’s Porsche 996 C4S (@996roadtrip), who combines modern classic driving fun with the ability to rock and up camp just about anywhere. We’re excited to continue following Cole’s journey with his G-Wagon. He's already clocked over 340,000 kilometres with it, and we plan to catch up with him when it reaches the magic half a million mark!
