Mercedes-Benz's Project Maybach Concept Pays Tribute to Designer Virgil Abloh

After the untimely passing of Virgil Abloh, Mercedes-Benz AG has released a project that pays tribute to the designer and his legacy. With the permission of Abloh’s family, the German luxury automotive brand has revealed Project Maybach, a collaborative electric vehicle show car designed to inspire the next generation and continue Abloh’s advocacy of forever questioning the status quo. 

Mercedes-Benz first paid tribute to Virgil Abloh with Project Maybach last December at the Rubell Museum, although access was initially limited to students from local design schools before opening the exhibit tot he public. Mercedes-Benz, which also owns the Maybach ultra-luxury car brand, said that the Mercedes-Maybach show car is ist humble contribution to Virgil’s vast legacy and exemplifies the possibilities of future design. 

Photo by Mercedes-Benz.

ALSO READ

Louis Vuitton's Virgil Abloh Collaborates With Mercedes-Benz for the G-Wagon Project

Bigboy Cheng Unboxes His Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1

The car itself is the result of what was an ongoing cooperation with the polymath artist, architect, creative director, fashion designer and philanthropist; driven by a shared passion to enrich the conversation around luxury design.

Built from scratch, the Project Maybach car is unlike anything that has been developed by Mercedes-Benz. Abloh, who has been collaborating with Mercedes-Benz Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener on Project Geländewagen has continued to question that status quo and re-interpreted Mercedes-Maybach’s luxury identity following a new design language that pushed the boundaries of function, style, and collaborative creativity.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz.

Project Maybach is a one-off off-roader that was recontextualized with a traditionally urban brand within a distinctly off-road environment. It is a two-seater, battery-electric motor powered off-road coupé that combines huge Gran Turismo proportions, large off-road wheels, and distinctive attachments.

Both Abloh and Wagener agreed that the key was a responsible vision of future design.  Given complete creative freedom, the design teams had a blank canvas to conceptualize what the future of electric travel could look like. Almost six meters long, the shows the power of Abloh’s work is not only from the point of view of product design, but also the ultimate visionary expression on how one could explore nature within a uniquely luxury context with Maybach.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz.

The Maybach x Abloh project also came with a fashion collection in collaboration with Off?White. Developed in connection with the Project Maybach electric showcar, the collection is exclusively available to buy on Off?White, Farfetch and Maybach Icons of Luxury online stores, as well as Off?White stores in select markets.