Palace and Mercedes-AMG’s car and apparel collection is the best auto collab yet

The gap between automotive machines and streetwear is getting smaller and smaller. Mercedes-AMG and British streetwear brand Palace are entering the second chapter of their collaboration with four intricate Mercedes-AMG Art Cars and accompanying apparel. Each car is inspired by four major cities — London, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo — which also happen to be the hometowns of Palace’s four flagship stores.

Sneaker designer Sean Wotherspoon redesigned a Porsche earlier this month and artist Jeff Koons added a BMW collab to his belt in February. Palace and Mercedes-AMG took to the tracks last year for their first iteration, though this one takes things to the next level.

In the fast lane — Consisting of the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, Mercedes-AMG GT 63, Mercedes-AMG SL 63, and Mercedes-AMG G 63 models, each car is complete with a handpainted, seven-layer fade paint finish. Aesthetics match their respective cities, like the edgy black and yellow GT 63 for New York and the topless SL 63 Roadster for LA. The 45 S nods to London’s car scene in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, while the G 63 draws inspo from Japan’s fantasy culture.

Co-branding is front and center with the brands’ logos and emblems, along with other intricate designs like a roaring snow leopard and a wild horse. Interiors take after Palace’s signature style with moody color palettes, and other details include individually designed floor mats and headrests, and embossed armrests.

Everything but a keychain — Design teams drew connections from the worlds of high-performance sports cars and street skateboarding to create the collab, focusing on performance, speed, adrenaline, and, of course, an overall coolness factor. The apparel, consisting of 23 pieces total, features pants, hoodies, jackets, t-shirts, vests, and headwear inspired by the “motor mechanic” aesthetic.

While the Art Cars are all one-of-ones, the Mercedes-AMG x Palace apparel will go on sale March 25 online and in-store. Following the somewhat bland release of A$AP Rocky’s AWGE and Mercedes-Benz collab, Palace’s Lev Tanju may just have the upper hand when it comes to thoughtful creative direction.