Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design
G-Spirit 2039
Project overview
Mentor
Programme
Degree level
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Year of project
2019
For the Mercedes-Benz call, Bálint Elek pictured a Mad Max-like dystopia from 2039. This is a world where rapid, destructive climate change is making more and more places uninhabitable, while at the same time creating new business opportunities, especially in Africa.
He envisioned a revolutionary energy farm business on the scale of the Klondike gold rush, built and operated by pioneering, adventurous settlers. The vehicle of choice for these futuristic energy farmers is the Mercedes G coupé, their faithful companion even in harsh desert conditions. With the desolate and dangerous terrain of uninhabitable regions in mind, Elek's designs emphasise robustness: the rugged exterior is both a functional and emotional aspect that provides real security.
The car’s details echo the character of the original G-Class, while adding significant extras such as a torch that can be pulled out of the indicator light, a gull-wing door providing much-needed shade, a radar dish on the roof and a compressed air system that, among other things, lowers the car's wheels to help it break free of the sand if it gets stuck.
