Once upon a time there was a popular subculture involved with modifying car appearances for the owner to express an act of personal artistic expression. This is not the case here. It is more like Daimler suddenly discovered the BMW Art Cars that have been making the headlines since the middle of the 1970s and hurryingly decided it needed a proper response. Well, opinion can easily be divided among the audience if the result achieved the desired effect.
Mercedes-Benz chief design officer Gorden Wagener and chief creative director and founder of Off-White and Men’s Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh, are responsible for the creation of “Project Geländewagen.” This is a unique reinterpretation of the iconic G-Class off-roader, aimed at finding novel approaches towards “disrupting future perceptions of luxury.”
A bespoke creation, the real car has also been derived into a scale replica that will go under the hammer during Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated (October 2nd), with all proceeds redirected towards charity. As far as the actual concept is concerned, Mercedes decided the artistic derivation of the G-Class should explore a motoring sector the off-roader has never (officially) visited – racing.
As such, we can see certain styling connections with the Mercedes-AMG G version, although even those have been kept to a minimum as the two designers wanted a clean appearance. Standard elements, such as turn indicators, outside mirrors or the bumper bar have disappeared, while the body has been widened and lowered.
Even the company admits to having exaggerated with the styling, claiming the oversized tires and spare wheel are part of the desired effect that was needed to make sure the G-personality remains intact even in this very artistic form. Well, this is one point we agree – there are some exaggerations here and there...
Moving inside, the racing atmosphere takes over, with the cockpit stripped down to the bare minimum and left with a new instrumentation and a Formula One-inspired combination of steering wheel and bucket seats. Certain elements – such as the safety frame or the five-point racing seat belts get a very colorful treatment, contrasting the white base shade that matches the exterior.
By the way, we have no idea about what’s under the hood, which is probably for the best. Who knows what ideas the two designers might have had for the engine, although we have a feeling the peeps from Affalterbach (aka Mercedes-AMG) might have had a word or two with them if the former decided to trample with any of their own creations.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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