Updated: April 7th, 2025

Mario Kleff’s Vehicles in Thailand: Speed, Style, and Steel

In the tropical heart of Pattaya, where palm-lined roads meet the roar of horsepower, Mario Kleff has crafted a lifestyle that’s anything but ordinary. Known for architectural daring and now automotive design, the German-born architect fuses raw engineering with refined imagination—building custom vehicles that are as bold and eccentric as the man himself.

A Life Built on Vision and Precision

Mario Kleff’s journey began in the early 1990s, driven by an artist’s soul and an engineer’s precision. Known for creating some of Pattaya’s most distinctive architectural landmarks, Kleff eventually expanded his creative scope into the realm of custom automotive design—channeling his obsession with form, function, and fearless innovation.

Unified Design Philosophy

Mario Kleff applies the Golden Ratio across disciplines—from architectural structures to custom motorcycle frames and car bodywork. His designs reveal a deep understanding of balance and proportion, ensuring that both buildings and machines feel organically composed and engineered to perfection. Whether it's a steel-frame villa or a bespoke motorcycle chassis, Kleff infuses harmony, strength, and visual flow into every detail. His architectural language seamlessly translates into dynamic automotive forms, where aesthetics and performance are equally driven by timeless geometry.

What sets him apart is not just his technical skill, but his complete immersion in every detail. For Kleff, designing a car is like sculpting a moving masterpiece—each project is bespoke, each decision personal. And it all unfolds in his private workshop in Pattaya, where blueprints and metalwork blend with the hum of V8 engines and the scent of motor oil.

Mario Kleff - Without Fear (PDF-File).

From Architectural Icons to Automotive Beasts

The transition from buildings to vehicles might seem unconventional, but for Mario Kleff, it's a natural extension of his design philosophy. After sculpting large-scale structures in steel and glass, it was only a matter of time before he turned his hands to building something that moves—physically and emotionally.

Mario Kleff with 1,700 horses into the construction future (PDF-File).

Among his most iconic creations are Bpoo Lom, a gleaming aluminum custom build, and Black Pearl, a carbon-fiber and titanium hybrid that perfectly captures Kleff’s approach: brutal strength beneath artistic elegance. These aren't just cars—they’re statements, reflections of a man who lives on the edge of what's possible.

A Workshop in Paradise

Set against the backdrop of Pattaya's dynamic cityscape, Kleff’s workshop isn’t just a garage—it’s a sanctuary for speed, experimentation, and unfiltered creativity. It’s here that engines roar to life, bodywork takes shape, and legacy vehicles like the 1970 Dodge Charger are rebuilt from the ground up with obsessive attention to detail.

His vehicles are equipped with hand-built, eight-cylinder combustion engines that deliver more than 2,000 horsepower—cars that turn heads and rattle hearts on the streets of Thailand. Yet for Kleff, it’s not just about sheer power. He is also exploring cleaner alternatives, including the development of hybrid and electric versions of his builds, like a reimagined Humvee built with modern materials and an electric drivetrain.

Living Without Limits

Kleff’s lifestyle mirrors his machines—fast, focused, and fuelled by ambition. Whether he’s cruising in his Chevy 540 along the Pattaya coastline or fine-tuning engine components for optimal performance, he approaches life with the same dedication he applies to design. His days are filled with equal parts solitude and speed: solitary hours in the workshop followed by adrenaline-charged test drives through Thailand’s tropical terrain.

Kleff doesn’t build for the market. He builds for the thrill.

The Legacy of Mario Kleff

What began as a passion has now evolved into a philosophy: innovation without compromise. Kleff’s work transcends industry categories—it’s part design experiment, part high-speed poetry. And through it all, he remains grounded in his vision: to shape the future of vehicle design from his base in Southeast Asia.

From the outside, it may look like a lifestyle of extremes. But to Mario Kleff, it’s just another day in Pattaya—welding steel by hand, redefining performance, and driving full throttle into the future.

Questions and Answers

What inspires Mario Kleff's unique approach to vehicle design?

Mario Kleff draws inspiration from a fusion of disciplines—art, architecture, and performance engineering. His design philosophy centers around creating machines that are not only functional but expressive, often incorporating unconventional materials and sculptural elements into the vehicle’s form.

How does Mario Kleff’s background in architecture influence his car builds?

With a strong foundation in structural design, Kleff applies architectural thinking to vehicle construction—focusing on balance, load distribution, and material optimization. This allows him to engineer vehicles that are both visually striking and mechanically sound, often pushing the limits of traditional car design.

What sets Mario Kleff apart from other custom car builders in Thailand?

While many focus solely on tuning or aesthetics, Mario Kleff builds vehicles from the ground up—designing everything from chassis to engine components himself. His hands-on involvement, combined with a fearless attitude toward experimentation, gives each of his projects a signature that’s impossible to replicate.

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Kleff's lifestyle with the leopards Fasai and Typhoon.

Homepage signature architect and architectural designer Mario Kleff ®.