Late designer Virgil Abloh’s collaboration with Mercedes-Benz chief design officer Gorden Wagener has taken luxury to a whole new level. In 2020, Project Geländewagen marked the first chapter on their journey with the reimagination of the iconic Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Inspiring others was Abloh’s main motivation: “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.”

A creative force beyond borders

When the show car Project MAYBACH was revealed in December 2021, the world witnessed a truly outstanding vehicle. As the second part of the collaboration between the two designers and Mercedes-Maybach, it was clear their creative force was beyond borders.

This is underlined by the show car: despite its length of almost six meters, the cabin of Project MAYBACH accommodates two passengers on a pair of futuristic seats. It is a Coupé with an off-road design, which is bold and playful at the same time. And yet, it doesn’t lose the relaxed elegance of a Mercedes-Maybach. Environmental considerations – an issue cars and fashion have in common – have also been incorporated. The battery-powered electric car is equipped with solar panels built into part of the bonnet.

The objective of Project MAYBACH was to recreate the Mercedes-Maybach DNA of sophistication and luxury in an off-road context. “With Project MAYBACH, we define the next level of luxury,” said Gorden Wagener. “After 100 years [of Maybach], we transform the brand into a luxury electric future. Together with Virgil Abloh, we are writing a new rule book for Mercedes-Maybach.”

The result opens up new perspectives: you can lie comfortably in the vehicle while enjoying an incredible view through the spectacular panoramic sunroof. The large off-road tires are no less impressive. The hatchet next to the driver’s seat was also inspired by the outdoor world.

Pushing the boundaries of design

Design and fashion connoisseurs all over the world were shocked when Virgil Abloh passed away in November 2021 at the age of 41.

In his professional career spanning more than a decade, the artist established his own Milan-based fashion label Off-White and made headlines by becoming the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection. Abloh’s designs kept on pushing the boundaries, most notably by elevating streetwear into high fashion. He not only managed to inspire the often-elite fashion scene, but also gave marginalised communities a voice.

He established the Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship to support the next generation of Black fashion industry leaders. Back in 2020, a one-of-a-kind 1:3 model of Project Geländewagen was auctioned for US$160,000, with all proceeds going to this fund.

The ultimate legacy

The final chapter of Project MAYBACH was unveiled in April 2022. This time, a limited edition Mercedes-Maybach S-Class is the centrepiece: coming in the familiar two-tone colour combination in sand hue and glossy obsidian black. The 150 units were equipped with a bespoke user interface and a luxurious variation of the Maybach MBUX suite.

A special capsule collection, designed by Abloh and Off-White, dropped on the same day as the limited edition S-Class. The collection spanned from sand coloured t-shirts, crewnecks and hoodies, as well as canvas baseball caps and racing gloves coated with a black spray effect.

When Gorden Wagener was asked to summarize the journey of the last years, he put it this way: “I’m incredibly proud of the work we have created in collaboration with Virgil. From Project Geländewagen, which set the benchmark for fashion/automotive collaborations with our iconic G-Class, to Project MAYBACH, which brought the distinguished Mercedes-Maybach heritage into the future, together with Virgil we truly broke new ground.”

The limited-edition Maybach by Virgil Abloh exemplifies the symbiosis between innovative design and ultimate craftsmanship now available on the road.

Vehicle not available locally.

By Hiromitsu Ozone & Nicolo Fischer