Mercedes partners Will.i.am on ‘The Flip’ supercar
Will.i.am. has joined forces with Mercedes-Benz to create a one-of-a-kind supercar dubbed “The Flip.” The car which is a one-off design based on the AMG GT four-door combines elements from the Mercedes-AMG G-Class and the iconic SLS Gullwing. The modification of the four-door coupe into “The Flip” was done by the West Coast Customs team The result was an “automotive masterpiece” equipped with suicide doors, monoblock alloy wheels, and a boxy G-Wagon face that featured Will.i.am.’s “Bear Witness” logo inspired by Mercedes’ three-point star.
According to Will.i.am., the bear illustration will also be the focal point of an apparel and accessories collection available at the Mercedes-AMG Experience Center and online. The first limited edition drop took place Friday. Sales proceeds from the range will help support Will.I.am.’s i.am/Angel Foundation.
Commenting on ‘The Flip’ program, Philipp Schiemer, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH in a press release said, “Our cooperation with Will.i.am has reached a new peak with ‘The Flip’. We have inspired and motivated each other in the realization of this holistic concept, which is far more than an exceptional automotive one-off. We take our responsibility to society seriously.
“The success of Mercedes-AMG as a Performance Luxury brand also depends to a large extent on inspiring the next generation and giving them easy access to the latest technologies and digital progress. It is part of our tradition to always be pioneers and to dare to do something new.”
Will.i.am, born William James Adams Jr., is a rapper artist who is the front man for the Black Eyed Peas. He is also, in the background, a car guy buff and technologist for years.
“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,” the Black Eyed Peas member said in a statement. “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 vision of an AMG model. But I didn’t touch the engine, because AMG really does make the best engines. The story of the founders of AMG truly inspires me and it is energizing to collaborate with like-minded people who also seek continuous improvement.”
He appeared at the inaugural FIRST Robotics Competition in 2011 and produced a TV show about it. In 2016 he acquired the Tel Aviv machine-learning start-up Sensiya. He was also the chief creative officer for the German company Deutsche Telekom and in 2017 he received an award from the Institution of Engineering and Technology for his contribution to the profession of engineering.
The Flip program’s mission is to give students from disadvantaged communities access to STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) to prepare them for future jobs. It’s one of many initiatives from the rapper’s i.am/Angel Foundation, which has raised millions of dollars over more than a decade.
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