Off-White Founder and Designer Virgil Abloh teamed up with Mercedes-Benz to produce an art-car aimed at providing relief to international creative communities hit hard by the pandemic.  

Project Geländewagen intersects classic Benz luxury with an experimental sporty touch brought by Abloh. A replica of the art-car will be auctioned off in Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated and all proceeds will directly go towards charities supporting international creative communities.

“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,” Abloh said. “For me it’s all about providing opportunities for those coming after me and giving this next generation a foundation for success.”

Abloh worked with Benz’s Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener on the art-car. The project completely remodels a Benz G-Class vehicle. Benz’s sporty AMG series shines through both in and out of the car, capturing the true essence of a racing car. 

The vehicle’s exterior is kept clean and emphasizes the G-Class’s iconic silhouette. Paintwork on the outside of the car is sanded to create a sense of timeless simplicity. Many standard car features, including mirrors and a bumper, were removed from the body.

Geländewagen’s interior plays on many SUV cliches while grounding the car in that classic AMG sporty feel. The car’s dashboard has been removed and remodeled to make room for a sporty steering wheel and seats that reflect a Formula 1 car. Five point seat belts are colored red surrounded by other tones of blue and white.

Abloh and Benz’s design was unveiled virtually at a digital launch event September 8th. Click here to watch the event and learn more about Project Geländewagen.