Mercedes-AMG and Will.i.am Collaborate on a Wild One-Off, the Will.i.amg – CNET [CNET]
Making its debut Thursday, the latest collaboration is the Will.i.amg, a play on the name of its inspiration, artist and entrepreneur Will.i.am, and AMG, the performance division of Mercedes-Benz. The one-off car is the result of a project Mercedes is calling The Flip, the heavy lifting done by West Coast Customs. This isn’t the first time Will.i.am and West Coast have worked together, the builders earlier crafting a custom Tesla, a wild Corvette and even a rebodied DeLorean.
This latest creation is based on a Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, now made into a literal coupe with only two doors. They’re hardly normal, though, opening from the rear in suicide fashion, which should make stepping in and out of the stark white interior a breeze. Those doors are far from the most radical departure from the Mercedes-AMG GT’s formerly sultry silhouette, however. That is of course the nose, blunt-force styling here borrowed from another Mercedes product, the G-Class. A pair of windows run lengthwise up the roof while suitably chunky monoblock wheels at each corner finish off the look.
Not a fan of the styling? Don’t sweat it; you’re unlikely to ever see it in person. However, it will be making the rounds this weekend as part of Mercedes-Benz’s festivities around the inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami. Most importantly, all proceeds from the publicity around it will be directed to the I.am/Angel Foundation, Will.i.am’s charity focused on improving access to education for disadvantaged communities.