Mercedes and Virgil Abloh create the most luxury off-roader ever
Published on May 18, 2022 at 3:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Kate Bain
Last updated on Jul 19, 2022 at 3:38 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
At almost 6 metres long and decked out with its very own axe, the hotly anticipated Project Maybach is finally here.
Mercedes-Benz today officially launched its coupe concept in honor of fashion designer Virgil Abloh, who died from cancer in November last year.
Designed before his death, Abloh – who was the creative genius behind fashion giant Off-White – worked with Mercedes to make the 2-seater battery-electric coupe.
Check out Supercar Blondie’s exclusive video with Project Maybach here:
Built from scratch, it has eight spotlights, massive off-road tires, a roof rack and a full external roll cage.
(Which we really hope never needs to be put to the test).
The concept is completely electric and comes with a solar panel under the transparent front hood of the car.
While the exterior gives off a ‘safari’ vibe, the doors open to an insanely deluxe interior – in true Mercedes fashion.
Inspired by the “great outdoors” it comes with a giant compass on the dashboard and an axe (yep!) which was designed to match the sandy-colored interior of the car.
There are only two seats inside but Mercedes has thrown everything it has at making them as luxurious as possible.
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And they can be folded back into beds.
This means passengers can lay back and stare up at the night sky through its glass roof.
Supercar Blondie was given a first look at the concept this week before its official launch to the public… and it blew us away!
Mercedes called the concept a “design unlike anything that has been developed by Mercedes-Benz”.
The automotive giant said it was a “humble contribution to Virgil Abloh’s vast legacy”.
“Mercedes-Benz is devastated to hear of the passing of Virgil Abloh. Our sincere thoughts are with Virgil’s family and teams,” the company said.
“We want to respectfully celebrate the work of a truly unique design talent, who created endless possibilities for collaboration through his unbridled imagination and inspired all that knew his work.”
Mercedes is also launching its Mercedes-Maybach S680 – inspired by high fashion.
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Off-White pieces
Alongside the launch, Off-White will launch a range of sand-colored T-shirts, crewnecks, hoodies, baseball caps and racing gloves, which all bear the Maybach name and logo.
The suede driving gloves are a standout, with blue velcro straps and showing Abloh’s name.
The Maybach by Virgil Abloh marks the late designer’s third collaboration with Mercedes, following the Project Geländewagen and Project Maybach concept vehicles.
Who is Virgil Abloh?
Abloh was an American fashion designer who worked as the artistic director of Louise Vuitton.
He was also the creative genius behind the fashion house Off-White – which he founded in 2013.
Before he transitioned into fashion, Abloh was a trained architect.
He was named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2018.
He died from cancer on November 28, 2021 aged just 41.
Who is Gorden Wagener
Gorden Wagener is a German car designer responsible for a range of Mercedes designs.
Some of his standout designs include the A-Class, S-Class, GLE, GLC and SLR McLaren, just to name a few.
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Kate Bain is the Page Editor at supercarblondie.com. She is based in Dubai and coordinates coverage of the latest news across automotive, technology, and lifestyle. Kate has a bachelor's degree in business and post graduate in journalism. She is an experienced editor and journalist who has worked for News Corp, Daily Mail Australia, and Sky News. When she's not at work, you'll find her attached at the hip to her dog, Thor.
