Mercedes, Fashion Designer Drop ‘Project Geländewagen’
Tapping into a bit of NASCAR, Project Geländewagen concept is ‘a distinctive manifestation of the G-Class as never seen before.’
Mercedes is an icon machine. Whether it’s the gullwing’d 300 SL coupe, the S-Class, or the R107-era SL roadster, the Stuttgart crew delivers a lot to remember. The one model to truly stand out today, though, is the G-Wagon. From its early career in the military to its later days of glitz and glamour, the timeless SUV draws all the eyes wherever it goes.
Perhaps, even within the self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Coliseum” that is Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. How? Via “Project Geländewagen,” a collab between Mercedes and Virgil Biloh. The result is a G-Wagon ready to bash it up in NASCAR, though it never will.
“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,” said Abloh, who serves as Louis Vuitton’s men’s artistic director. “For me it’s all about providing opportunities for those coming after me and giving this next generation a foundation for success, both here with Mercedes-Benz, and through my own Virgil Abloh™ ‘Post-Modern’ Scholarship Fund.“
Based on the G-Wagon, “Project Geländewagen” is “a unique artwork that showcases future interpretations of luxury and the desire for beauty and the extraordinary,” per Mercedes design boss Gordon Wagener. Thus, the SUV is slammed and stripped, then repurposed as a race car whose minimalist color scheme would fit very well in Mirror’s Edge.
The art project worked out so well, a replica of “Project Geländewagen” is set to cross the auction block of Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated series October 2 in New York.
Should you want to own the 1:3-scale resin model, advanced bidding opens Monday, September 14. The auction expects anywhere from $60,000 to $80,000 for this unique art piece, proceeds to go “to support international creative communities to continue their education in the arts,” per Mercedes marketing chief Bettina Fetzer.
“Project Geländewagen perfectly encapsulates Mercedes-Benz’s manifestation of contemporary luxury, pushing creativity and innovative design,” said Fetzer. “Culture and the arts have always played an important part in both Mercedes-Benz products and the brand.”
Photos: Mercedes-Benz; Sotheby’s
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