More than an electric all-terrain with Gran Turismo proportions, the Project Maybach prototype is a tribute to fashion designer Virgil Abloh, who passed away last Sunday.
Abloh, who was the male artistic director of Louis Vuitton and founder of Off-White, collaborated with Mercedes-Maybach and Gordon Wagener, Mercedes-Benz design director, to create an "electric show car."
This was, moreover, the second time that this duo came together to create a car. About a year ago they had created the “Project Geländewagen”, a kind of G-Class racing Mercedes-Benz that Wagener described as “a unique work of art that presents future interpretations of luxury and the desire for the beautiful and the extraordinary”.
But nothing looks like this Project Maybach, which the German brand describes as “unlike anything seen before at Mercedes-Benz”.
In profile, the long hood and the passenger compartment in a (very) recessed position stand out — typical of a true Gran Turismo —, the very wide wheel arches, off-road tires and the very low roof, which also has a Tubular structure, which supports a grid to carry more load.
At the front, the illuminated grille stands out in the typical format of models with the Maybach signature.
Also noteworthy is the generous height to the ground, the various body protections and auxiliary lights, elements that help reinforce the more adventurous character of this proposal, which has photovoltaic cells under the hood that theoretically can help increase the autonomy of the model .
Luxury… military!
Moving on to the cabin, which is only designed for two occupants, we find two futuristic-looking seats whose sides resemble the shape of a jerrican, a very compact steering wheel, aluminum pedals and several storage spaces.
Full of straight lines, this interior has a markedly military inspiration, although the luxury that always characterizes Maybach's proposals is also present.
And the engine?
Mercedes-Maybach has not made any reference to the engine that underlies this radical project, only specified that it is a battery-powered electric vehicle.
But since this is an exercise in style, which will be exhibited at the Rubell Museum in Miami, Florida (USA), and which will never be produced, the engine is what matters least. Right?
