Wild new AMG GT 4-Door-based sports car said to take inspiration from both the G-wagen and SLS
Mercedes-AMG and US pop star, will.i.am, has revealed a new AMG GT 4-Door-based the Flip at the last weekend’s Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami.
Created in partnership with famed tuner West Coast Customs, the AMG The Flip also goes under the WILL.I.AMG moniker and is said to draw from both the current Mercedes-Benz G-Class off-roader and the SLS Gullwing supercar that was made from 2010-2014.
Featuring unusual rear-hinged doors, a grille dominated by the three-pointed Mercedes badge surrounded by a bear (that hint at the former Black Eyed Peas’ singer’s Bear Witness logo) The Flip’s most prominent design cue is its squared-off clamshell bonnet, upright grilles and round headlamps that look lifted from the G-Glass.
A central spline, meanwhile, stretches from the bonnet along the centre line of the car giving the impression of a pair of gullwing doors.
Vented front fenders and blocky lines continue along the flanks, while the one-off sports huge AMG-inspired Monoblock wheels complete the most obvious styling additions.
No pictures of either the rear desigh or cabin have yet to be released but it’s thought the standard AMG GT 4-Door’s rear lamps have been retained. Inside, there’s said to be a cabin that blends cream and black leather and diamond-stitched seats. Beneath the skin, the wild modified four-door sedan is expected to be based on the mighty Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance that combines a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 with AMG’s latest plug-in ‘P3’ hybrid system.
Combined, the electric super-sedan produces a monstrous 620kW and 1470Nm of torque. The motivation behind the Benz will.i.am collaboration is said to benefit the singer’s Angel Foundation, a charity set up by the rapper to support students from disadvantaged communities to give them access to education in science, technology, engineering, arts and math to equip them for ‘future-focused’ jobs. Commenting on The Flip, will.i.am said: “I grew up in a ghetto. I grew up with hip hop. I watched legendary hip hop artist rap about Mercedes, so it was always a dream to own a Mercedes. For a lot of inner-city kids, owning a Mercedes is a symbol of progress and advancing out of struggle.
“Now I’ve reached my goal and pushed even higher by re-imagining and creating my own vision of an AMG model.”
Keyword: One-off Mercedes-AMG The Flip created for will.i.am