A collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Virgil Abloh, the chief creative director and founder of Off-White, and men’s artistic director of Louis Vuitton, Project Geländewagen was unveiled yesterday at a unique digital launch event.
The conceptual design project, led by Mercedes-Benz Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener and Abloh, used the Mercedes-Benz G-Class to explore ways of disrupting future perceptions of luxury.
The result is a distinctive manifestation of the G-Class as never seen before. Compelled to support the arts at a critical time, a replica of the design piece will be auctioned as part of Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated.
All proceeds from the sale at the prestigious event, for which bidding opens on September 14 of this year, will go to a charity that supports international creative communities.
“My ultimate goal in this project with Mercedes-Benz is inspiring young artists, engineers, designers to question the status quo, in addition to experimenting with my own design abilities,” Abloh said.
“For me it’s all about providing opportunities for those coming after me and giving this next generation a foundation for success, both here with Mercedes-Benz and through my own Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholarship Fund.”
Wagener described the collaboration with Virgil as the uniting of two distinct philosophies of design to create a one-of-a-kind re-imagining of the G, that continues to celebrate the extraordinary at the vehicle’s core.
“With Project Geländewagen we create a unique artwork that showcases future interpretations of luxury and the desire for beauty and the extraordinary. The result is something between reality and future.”
From a 4×4 to a Landaulet, the G-Class has had many incarnations to date, but never a race car – until now. The finished design simultaneously never forgets its point of origin, and captures the experience of a racing car.
The design process was inspired by Wagener and Abloh owning and experiencing the G-Class first hand and identifying opportunities for maximising its Mercedes-AMG attitude.
Together they considered how to make the viewer look at Mercedes-Benz designs with a fresh perspective, while driving luxury away from a polished and flawless aesthetic to something raw, natural and altogether more honest.
The exterior is kept as clean as possible to emphasize the G-Class’s iconic silhouette, demonstrating its monolithic character. The final design lays its construction methods bare, and celebrates the handcrafted imperfections that make it unique.
The paintwork was partially sanded by hand to create a sense of timeless simplicity. Welds are celebrated as key design motifs, as craftsmanship takes center stage.
The indicators, outside mirrors and the bumper bar have all been removed and the body of the car is widened and lowered, for a sportier effect.
The distinct personality of the G remains intact, however, and an exaggeration of the tyres and spare wheel exude the G’s inimitable charisma.
Inside the Mercedes-Benz Project Geländewagen art piece, reduction reigns and the racing inspiration is clear; eschewing all clichés of an SUV. All interiors have been stripped back, and the safety frame becomes a central motif.
The dashboard is removed and replaced with a clean, reduced version which celebrates an analogue speedometer and fuel gauges, reminiscent of a classic car. This contrasts with the steering wheel and seats, which are more akin to a Formula 1 vehicle.
Safety features and key racing elements, such as the safety frame or the 5-point seat belts are highlighted in baby blue and bright red tones. These strong accent colours create a new kind of colour grouping, and contrast against the bare interior.
Utilising the craftsmanship and know-how that is unique to Mercedes-Benz’s heritage as the world’s first car manufacturer, Wagener and Abloh’s creation embodies Mercedes-Benz’ innate understanding of the extraordinary, and the power to dream.
