Mercedes-AMG has lifted the veil off of the mysterious car it designed with rapper will.i.am. The one-off model takes the form of a coupe called will.i.AMG — we can’t make this up, folks — that’s based on the GT Four-Door Coupe and that borrows styling cues from the G-Class.
“I grew up in a ghetto. I grew up with hip-hop. I watched legendary hip-hop artists rap about Mercedes-Benz, so it was always a dream to own one. For a lot of inner-city kids, owning a Mercedes is a symbol of progress and advancing out of struggle,” explained will.i.am. “Now, I’ve reached my goal and pushed even higher by reimagining and creating my own vision of an AMG model.”
From many angles, almost nothing suggests that the will.i.AMG is even remotely related to the GT Four-Door Coupe. It’s an actual coupe with two doors, for starters, and it’s characterized by an almost G-Class-like front end with round headlights and a rectangular grille mounted in a boxy frame. Check out the emblem: it’s a new take on the three-pointed star that will.i.am created and that has been named “Bear Witness.” The one-off also features air vents chiseled into both fenders, extra-long suicide doors, and a panoramic roof panel. Photos of the back end haven’t been released, but a look at the lights and the shape of the bumper suggests that the will.i.AMG is more like the GT out back.
We don’t know what the inside looks like yet, but we do know that no major mechanical changes were made during the build.
“I didn’t touch the engine because AMG really does make the best engines,” the rapper opined.
AMG noted that all activities surrounding the will.i.AMG will benefit the i.am.angel Foundation, which provides scholarships and opportunities in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education. And, the joint project is part of a mission called The Flip that aims to give more students from disadvantaged communities access to STEAM education. More specific details remain few and far between, but the Bear Witness logo will appear on a line of limited-edition apparel and accessories that will be sold at the Mercedes-Benz Experience Center in Miami, Florida, and online. Proceeds from the sale of this merchandise will be donated to the i.am.angel Foundation.
Mercedes-AMG told Autoblog that it will purchase the will.i.AMG from will.i.am “to support the purpose of the common project,” and that part of the proceeds will be donated to the i.am.angel Foundation. As for what’s next in this coupe’s journey, your guess is as good as ours.