Project Maybach is boundless off-roader

Mercedes-Maybach is of course not devoid of exuberance and it now shows it in a very special way. Project Maybach is something completely different from what we are used to from Maybach. This creative splurge from Mercedes’ luxury division is the result of a collaboration between designer Gorden Wagener and acclaimed fashion designer Virgil Abloh. He passed away last weekend at the age of only 41 after a short battle with cancer and that naturally gives the presentation of Project Maybach an extra special meaning.

In any case, Abloh’s creativity lives on in this extremely striking show car that pushes all conventions aside. Project Maybach can best be described as a special mix between a luxury GT and an extreme off-roader. Mercedes-Maybach itself speaks of an ‘off-road coupé with Gran Turismo proportions’. It is clear that Wagener and Abloh were able to enjoy themselves without restrictions.

‘The’ Project Maybach extends over no less than 6 meters and is therefore more than half a meter longer than the Mercedes-Maybach S-class. The car has a front that is unlike any other model from Stuttgart and some Rolls-Royce similarities are undeniable. The large ‘grille’ is no more than an optical spectacle with LED lighting in the form of bars and is flanked on both sides by round LED headlights. A bull bar with a thick skid plate and more LED lighting on it provides the off-road sauce. On the immense nose rests a transparent hood with solar panels underneath that provide the electric powertrain with power. Project Maybach is just as angular at the back as it is at the front, only minimalism reigns supreme here.

The roof of the show car is almost entirely made of glass and lies like a drop on the car. The extremely smooth lines of the roof provide a great contrast to the rest of the car and the thick external roll cage and roof rack above. Because the roof construction itself has too thick posts, it is nice and light in the interior of Project Maybach. The interior is quite retro and is just as rectilinear as the main part of the body. There is room for two occupants and the driver has a remarkably small steering wheel in front of his nose.

We must disappoint anyone who hopes that Mercedes-Maybach will bring such a car on the market. At most, some design elements will be carried over to future production cars, but Project Maybach was above all a creative statement. One with which Mercedes-Maybach wanted to visualize ‘how to explore nature in a unique, luxurious Maybach’. In any case, it has resulted in a very high-profile show car, we can say that.