Mercedes And Will.I.Am’s “The Flip” Concept Is An AMG GT Wearing A G-Class Mask

Mercedes-AMG and musician will.i.am have teamed up to turn an AMG GT into the love child of an SLS Gullwing and a G-wagon SUV.

Called “The Flip”, the one-off concept due to be unveiled at the Grand Prix USA in Miami, Floirida, is the latest fruit of a collaboration between the automaker and the hip-hop star that began in September 2021 and was conceived to help disadvantaged communities get access to arts and science education.

The project is based around an AMG GT 4-Door coupe, though that’s not immediately apparent unless you can see the rear end from your vantage point. The GT’s four conventionally opening doors have been replaced by a heavily-scalloped single rear-opening suicide door on each side.

But the real shocker is the square-jawed nose, which is clearly inspired by the front end of that perennial hip-hop favorite, the G-Class SUV, but combined with the low coupe roof also happens to remind us of some kind of fake 1965 Ford Mustang fastback. A pair of circular headlamps is mounted either side of a slat-filled rectangular grille in which the traditional Mercedes three-pointed star has been repurposed to become the mouth of a grumpy bear.

Related: Mercedes-AMG G 63 “Edition 55” Kicks Off A Run Of Special Cars Celebrating 55 Years Of AMG

Dubbed “Bear Witness”, the feature is a visible link to an apparel collection of the same name that will be available both at the Mercedes-AMG Experience Center in Miami and online. A portion of the profits will go to the i.am/Angel Foundation that wants to give communities access to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) education to help lift them out of poverty.

The lower half of the bumper is crammed full of hungry air intakes, the outer pair featuring AMG’s segmented stripe logo, and the pronounced hood bulge hints at the unspecified number of horses located beneath. AMG doesn’t specify which engine The Flip is equipped with, which seems kind of weird if the idea is to encourage kids to get into tech. But whether it’s the 362 hp (367 PS) inline six from the AMG GT 43, or the 630 hp (639 PS) bi-turbo V8 from the GT 63 S, we do know it’s stock.

“I didn’t touch the engine, because AMG really does make the best engines,” will.i.am said in a statement.

We don’t get a proper look at the rear styling or the interior either, so we imagine they’re also stock, but the wheels definitely aren’t. Their retro design features five short, fat spokes, just like wheels on AMGs from the 1990s, such as the E55, an influence will.i.am alludes to.

“I grew up in a ghetto. I grew up with hip-hop. I watched legendary hip-hop artists rap about Mercedes, so it was always a dream to own a Mercedes,” the star said. “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 reimagining and creating my own vision of an AMG model.”