[Auto] Virgil Abloh designed a wild Mercedes-Benz off-roader before he died

[S e u o n g]

Late fashion designer Virgil Abloh designed a concept car with Mercedes-Benz prior to his passing at age 41, it has been revealed

With permission of Abloh's family, the automaker has released images of the Project Maybach, which will be privately shown to art students at a Miami museum.

The wild, 20-foot-long electric two-seater wears the name of Mercedes-Benz's ultra luxury brand Maybach, but is designed with oversized off-road tires, skid plates, an external roll cage and fully reclining seats.

The coupe's epically-long hood is equipped with solar panels and the car fitted with auxiliary adventure lighting normally reserved for a pickup or rally racing car.

Abloh developed in partnership with Mercedes head designer Gorden Wagener as a styling exercise and there are no plans to put it into production or even a drivetrain installed, but a previous and similarly outlandish Maybach concept from 2005 called the Exelero was built as a one- off car and sold for a reported $ 8 million.

Abloh's connection to Mercedes goes beyond his work by him in the fashion world. He was also close friends with six-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamltion who drives for the Mercedes-AMG F1 team and was often seen wearing clothing designed by Abloh.

 

 

LINK: https://www.foxnews.com/auto/virgil-abloh-designed-wild-mercedes-benz-off-roader