Sportiness, luxury, uniqueness and fashion. The Mercedes-Benz Project Geländewagen, a concept car created by the German manufacturer’s style centre headed by Gorden Wagener in collaboration with Virgil Abloh, creative director of Louis Vuitton, explores new horizons in mobility: “With this car we have created a unique work of art that showcases future interpretations of Mercedes-Benz luxury. The result is halfway between reality and the future,” says Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer of Mercedes-Benz.
The prototype was built on the basis of the G63 AMG Class: “The collaboration with Virgil Abloh has seen the union of two distinct stylistic philosophies that has made it possible to create a unique G-Class,” says Wagener. The starting point was the desire to create a racing car and the Project Geländewagen was equipped with all the necessary equipment for the track: from miniskirts to the decidedly large wheels, from the lowered trim to the absence of mirrors to improve aerodynamics.
The paintwork has been partially sanded by hand to give a sense of simplicity. The welds are highlighted and become a key design motif while indicators, exterior mirrors and the bumper bar have all been removed. The car’s bodywork has been enlarged and lowered for greater sportiness. The interior has been designed in a racing style: the dashboard has been removed and replaced with a speedometer and analogue fuel gauges, while the seats and steering wheel are similar to those found on Formula 1 cars.
