Pimp my ride! This curiosity is the Mercedes WILL.I.AMG, a cross between the Mercedes AMG GT 4-door and the Mercedes G-Class designed by will.i.am

After previewing some aspects of the car,  Mercedes-AMG  has finally unveiled a new concept car designed in collaboration with musical artist and  occasional car designer  will.i.am. The car, cleverly named  WILL.I.AMG  , is an amalgam of different iconic models of the brand.

The Will.I.AMG was designed as part of a project called "The Flip", which aims to help young people access new technology-related jobs. For its manufacture, Mercedes-Benz and the musician turned to the famous Californian company  West Coast Customs,  those of the famous and defunct  Pimp my Ride program  .

The concept car is based on a  4-door Mercedes-AMG GT . The shape of the rear and taillights as well as the shape of the C-pillars reveal the car that served as the basis. Instead, the rest of the car bears little resemblance to the original model.

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The front end is that of a  Mercedes  G  -Class. It's original, yes, but the integration of this square nose while the rest of the car is fluid is not an example of harmony. The doors are even more striking. The WILL.I.AMG has two long suicide doors (opposite opening) which required the removal of the car's (center) B-pillars.

The wheels, which are available on the 4-door GT, are beautiful five-spoke one-pieces with yellow center caps.

In addition to the G-Class, Mercedes says elements of the legendary  SLS AMG  and  McLaren SLR  were used to formulate the design of the WILL.I.AMG. The hood vents are a nod to the SLS while the extractors, behind the front wheel arches, are a nod to the SLR.

The panoramic glass roof has a split reminiscent of a Pontiac TransAm targa roof and the rear spoiler has fins.

For a good cause

As for the Mercedes logo, it has been changed to look like a bear face. It's actually the logo for a limited-edition clothing line called '  Bear Witness  ', the proceeds of which will go towards 'giving students in disadvantaged communities access to science, technology, technology education. engineering, arts and math to help equip them with the skills to do forward-looking work and invent new technologies,” says Mercedes.

Mercedes hasn't revealed which engine the WILL.I.AMG uses, but if we had to guess, it's likely still running the AMG GT 4-Door's engine, either the GT43's straight-six or V8. twin-turbo from the GT63. . . Even though it basically doesn't matter the structural integrity of the car shouldn't be what it used to be and whether it's 347hp or 639hp must be too much for a car that's still a concept because, designed to express design and not be driven.

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The WILL.I.AMG made its debut this weekend at the Miami Grand Prix. There, Mercedes will show the first part of a six-part documentary titled "DRIVE", detailing how this collaboration came about and how the car was built.