Mercedes-AMG 'The Flip' Is will.i.am's Idea of a Bespoke Car, Not the Prettiest We've Seen

Set to be unveiled at the Grand Prix USA in Miami, Florida, this weekend, it is the love child of the automaker and the artist, whose collaboration kicked off last September. It has also involved West Coast Customs, and it may not be the prettiest one-ff project that we have seen, but at least it was made for noble reasons.

First things first, The Flip builds on the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, which may not be obvious at first, but that is the case nonetheless. The back end somewhat resembles that of the executive four-door coupe, from what we can see anyway, yet it is the face that was completely changed.

Obviously inspired by that of the G-Wagen, it features circular headlamps flanking the grille with horizontal slats, and a custom logo in the middle. The boxy styling of the nose continues further back, with unique lines running across the sides. Speaking of which, instead of four doors, The Flip has only two, with rear-mounted hinges for a suicide opening effect. The wheels seem to have come from the aftermarket world too, and they have center caps that display the same badge as the one fitted to the grille.

Mercedes-AMG has yet to release pictures of the interior, but it seems that beige is the main theme adopted here, with diamond quilting on the comfy front seats that have integrated headrests. More leather can be seen on the custom door cards, in a two-tone design, beige and black, and the typical electric seat controls, handles, and speaker covers. There is still enough room at the back for a bench, so in all likelihood, this one-off creation has seating for more than two people.

As for that custom logo, it has been dubbed ‘Bear Witness,’ and was inspired by the three-pointed star’s emblem. This is a nod to a collection available at the Mercedes-AMG Experience Center in Miami, and online. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the i.am/Angel Foundation, whose goal is to help disadvantaged communities by giving them access to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education.

For a foundation that has such a goal in mind and the aforementioned tools, it is kind of weird that there is no reference to the powertrain whatsoever, with will.i.am stating only that “I didn’t touch the engine, because AMG really does make the best engines.”

However, we don’t know if it is the 3.0-liter inline-six, making 362 hp in the GT 43, the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 rated at 630 hp in the GT 63 S or anything in between. Nevertheless, they might clarify this aspect in the coming days, because as we mentioned at the beginning of this story, The Flip will be fully unveiled during the Formula 1 Grand Prix this weekend, “in the company of prominent guests, such as record world champion Lewis Hamilton,” Mercedes-AMG says.

“I grew up in a ghetto. I grew up with hip hop. I watched legendary hip hop artist rap about Mercedes, so it was always a dream to own a Mercedes,” commented the 47-year old artist, William Adams by his real name. “For a lot of inner-city kids, owning a Mercedes is a symbol of progress and advancing out of struggle," he explained. "Now I’ve reached my goal and pushed even higher by re-imagining and creating my own vision of an AMG model.”