Mercedes-Benz India has been flaunting their most jaw-dropping concept cars at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), and their latest showstopper? The Project Maybach Virgil Abloh—an electric luxury off-roader that’s turning heads and raising eyebrows.
Now, when I first laid eyes on this nearly six-metre-long behemoth, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Jeremy Clarkson’s infamous MFB — the go-anywhere, do-anything Bentley Continental GT from The Grand Tour’s Madagascar special. Both are absolute units, designed to tackle anything in their path while oozing style and presence. But where Clarkson’s MFB was a bruiser with a tux, the Project Maybach Virgil Abloh is more like a bespoke suit made for the wilderness — a true statement of rugged elegance.
Now, let’s rewind to December 2021. That’s when the world first laid eyes on this Maybach concept, a tribute to the late, Virgil Abloh, the fashion visionary who took Louis Vuitton to the next level. Tragically, Abloh passed away before he could see the car in all its glory, but his legacy lives on in every bold line and unapologetic curve of this off-road dream machine.
Visually, the Project Maybach Virgil Abloh is like a luxury tank that got lost in the wilderness and decided to stay. With an elongated front overhang that could double as a runway, a dual-tone paint job that screams sophistication, and steel rims wrapped in chunky BFGoodrich off-road tires, this concept car is here to make a statement.
The upright lower body and small glasshouse only add to its formidable presence, while a full-width lightbar, round headlamps, and a roof-mounted luggage rack make sure you won’t mistake it for anything else on the road — or off it.
That long, sweeping hood isn’t just there to look pretty — though it certainly does. It’s packing solar panels under its stylish exterior, making this concept car not just a feast for the eyes, but a friend to Mother Nature too. Virigl chose to clearly kept function at the forefront, proving that you can have eco-friendly engineering without sacrificing an ounce of style.
While the interior was locked when we saw it in flesh, but, the interior looks like a playground of analogue and digital, with a giant touchscreen that folds away to reveal a dashboard full of old-school buttons. It’s like stepping into the future, but with a nod to the past.
The Project Maybach’s futuristic looks extend to the seats as it gets sofa-like chairs which can fold completely flat. Everything inside is drenched in the same classy tones as the exterior, making sure you’re enveloped in luxury, even if you’re knee-deep in mud.
The collaboration between Virgil Abloh and Mercedes-Maybach doesn’t end there. The two brands also created a special edition of the Maybach S680, of which only 150 units were ever built.
The Project Maybach will be on display at the NMACC till October 2024. This is the fourth concept vehicle displayed by the brand at the cultural centre in Mumbai. The first was the Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6 concept in 2023, followed by the Mercedes-Benz EQG concept and the Mercedes-AMG Vision Gran Turismo in 2024.
