Mercedes-Benz on Wednesday unveiled an electric Maybach coupe concept designed by the late Louis Vuitton fashion designer Virgil Abloh.
Dubbed Project Maybach, the massive coupe is almost 19 feet long, but only seats two. It was a collaborative effort between Abloh, who died earlier this week at age 41, and Mercedes design boss Gordon Wagener, the automaker said in a press release.
The concept combines a traditional two-door coupe shape with off-road elements, including a raised ride height, fender flares encasing off-road wheels and tires, a front skid plate and light bar, and a roof rack. Instead of an engine, its long hood creates space for solar panels. The concept also wears a more subtle version of the typical Maybach two-tone paint scheme, combining black and tan.
Mercedes-Benz Project Maybach concept
This is the second Mercedes concept designed by Abloh. He previously partnered with the automaker on a G-Class race vehicle that sported flared fenders, side exhaust, and a NASCAR-like window net.
Mercedes didn't discuss technical specifications like battery size, horsepower, or electric range for the Project Maybach concept, but we already know EVs are in the ultra-luxury sub-brand's future.
Unveiled earlier this year, the Concept Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV previews an upcoming Maybach electric SUV. As the name suggests, the production model will be based on the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV that's scheduled to start production in 2022, and is itself a derivative of the EQS sedan. That follows the current Maybach strategy of branding vehicles as variants of existing Mercedes models, rather than completely standalone models, as in the brand's previous revival in the early 2000s.
