A classic reimagined by polarising high fashion designer Virgil Abloh, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has been reborn as an iconic race car.
G-Class reimagined: Virgil Abloh redesigns Benz’ classic
The collaborative Project Geländewagen was an effort between Abloh and Mercedes-Benz’s Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener.
Quoted on Rodd Report, Abloh and Wagener highlighted their intentions when they approached the project. The goal was to layer the race car design on the fundamentals of the iconic G-Class.
“The foundation of the approach was how far can we push the G-class to make it look like a race car. We wanted to capture the experience of owning and driving the G-class, and the fun of power, acceleration and speed, which is how we were able offer a new and different interpretation of it,” Wagener said.
Take a look at this retro-futuristic box-shaped classic Benz:
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Design specs of the new G-Class race car
The reductionist approach to the G-Class redesign is epic in every sense of the word. The exterior holds true to Abloh’s minimalist attitude towards everything he touches. It is his signature finish. The plush ‘off-white’ paintwork accentuates the monolithic character of the SUV.
The car’s bare construction complements its imperfect handcrafted “X” markers. The thick coating is a verbatim depiction of what it means, in ebonics, to be “dripping in paint”.
Inside, it’s Back to the Future. The SUV’s dashboard is left to its original form, from the analogue speedometer to the fuel gauges. All the while, the steering wheel and seats are akin to a Formula 1 racing car.
“My ultimate goal in this project with Mercedes-Benz is inspiring young artists, engineers, designers to question the status quo,” Abloh said.
Retail prices of this scorcher have not yet been released. For a more dramatic and high-budget illustration of what we conveyed, watch this video from Mercedes-Benz:
