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Project Maybach by Virgil Abloh Is a Luxurious Take on a Rough Electric Off-Roader

How do the world’s richest go off-roading? Should they ever go on a Safari, what kind of vehicle would they ride in? The answer to these questions is Project Maybach, a vision of a more responsible but still luxurious and highly competent future. And a beauty in its own right.
Project Maybach by Virgil Abloh is a luxurious, surprisingly adventurous take on a more sustainable future 9 photos
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Project Maybach by Virgil Abloh is a luxurious, surprisingly adventurous take on a more sustainable futureProject Maybach by Virgil Abloh is a luxurious, surprisingly adventurous take on a more sustainable futureProject Maybach by Virgil Abloh is a luxurious, surprisingly adventurous take on a more sustainable futureProject Maybach by Virgil Abloh is a luxurious, surprisingly adventurous take on a more sustainable futureProject Maybach by Virgil Abloh is a luxurious, surprisingly adventurous take on a more sustainable futureProject Maybach by Virgil Abloh is a luxurious, surprisingly adventurous take on a more sustainable futureProject Maybach by Virgil Abloh is a luxurious, surprisingly adventurous take on a more sustainable futureProject Maybach by Virgil Abloh is a luxurious, surprisingly adventurous take on a more sustainable future
Earlier this year, Mercedes-Benz started teasing a secretive concept car they called Project Maybach, for which few details were released. However, project Maybach has just made its debut at Miami’s Rubell Museum on December 1, and it is beyond wild.

Designed by Virgil Abloh, Off-White label founder and Louis Vuitton creative director since 2018, and Gorden Wagener, Mercedes-Benz Chief Design Officer, Project Maybach is a total dream car: it is a design exercise par excellence, and it is not destined to go into production (unless, by some twist of fate, it follows in the path of the 2005 Exelero concept). It’s a dream take on the future of off-roading, but one infused with luxury and the premium experience of a Maybach vehicle, with extra points for being more environmentally friendly. It is the ultimate car of tomorrow for the adventurous one-percenters.

In honor of Virgil Abloh’s work, and in light of his shocking passing on November 28, after a secret battle with an aggressive form of cancer, Mercedes-Benz has decided to ditch the initial plan for the reveal and display Project Maybach instead for the public. The initial reveal was supposed to be for media members only, but after consulting with Abloh’s family, it was decided that the car should go on display in Miami on December 1 and 2.

Project Maybach by Virgil Abloh is a luxurious, surprisingly adventurous take on a more sustainable future
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Project Maybach was built entirely from scratch as a means to free the design of existing constraints imposed by the market or even production units. Sky’s the limit when you’re not “tethered” down, Mercedes-Benz said a while back. As such, it stands out for its impressive size and surprising silhouette, as well as for a combination of innovative and traditional elements, binding the brand’s legacy to the sustainable future.

Project Maybach is a two-seater off-road coupe painted in gold and black, with a tan leather interior inspired by the desert sand it will never traverse. At 236.2 inches (6 meters), it is incredibly long and imposing, mostly thanks to a massive front end. The hood is transparent, revealing solar cells underneath, which should add to the imagined range provided by the electric battery.

To protect the solar cells is a roll cage that becomes visible at the windshield, and then slopes all the way across the roof and onto the back. On the roof, it doubles as a roof rack, just perfect for the Louis Vuitton luggage cases carrying designer outfits or the very expensive champagne of this modern and incredibly rich adventurer.

The show car also features front and rear skid plates, eight off-road lights (four between the headlights and four up top), off-road tires, and bolt-on fender flares, all of which come in sharp contrast to the sinuous body. They also serve to deliver the message that this electric off-road coupe could really hold its own in the wild, should whoever is driving it desire to take it there. The taillights have the Maybach logo within.

Project Maybach by Virgil Abloh is a luxurious, surprisingly adventurous take on a more sustainable future
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
The interior is incredibly spacious and, like everything else about this show car, luxurious and minimalist in styling. The seats are deconstructed, resembling large, military-grade suitcases that have been torn apart and repurposed. They can fold out flat. The dash includes retro gauges and metal knobs, but there’s also a large infotainment screen in the center that comes into view at the touch of the button. Even adventurers have to take a break every once in a while, and this hypothetical one is no exception. The second Instagram video below shows how it works.

Storage is generous, with various compartments visible in the press photos. A storage box for an ax is integrated into the door insert, with the Maybach-branded ax in it on full display. This being a luxury vehicle, even the most functional piece serves the subtle purpose of showing off.

Mercedes-Benz did not provide specs on the drivetrain, and that’s only because it does not exist. As noted above, Project Maybach is merely a design exercise, one that’s meant to push the boundaries of design and explore possible directions for the future of electric transport. With its public release, it is meant to honor the work of Abloh, a pioneer in design, architecture, and fashion. A “genius,” as Mercedes-Benz calls him, and this last work (and Abloh’s second with Mercedes-Benz) duly shows that.



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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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