New luxury concept car for the electric era: Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic – the motorway courier of the future
The Vision Iconic presents itself as a luxurious XXL coupé: The show car's design is reminiscent of the legendary Autobahn courier of the 1930s and combines classic elegance with state-of-the-art technology.
Anyone who sees the Vision Iconic concept car from Mercedes probably immediately thinks of the legendary Autobahnkurier from the 1930s. Few models embody the luxury world of the Mercedes brand quite like the 540K Autobahnkurier. But the new luxury liner is intended to point the way to the future.
"Vision Iconic" is the name of a new concept car that Mercedes-Benz is presenting at Shanghai Fashion Week. The black, 1930s-style coupe offers a glimpse into future developments in design and technology.
The proportions are striking: the stretched-looking front end with its short overhang sits flat over powerful, black wheels. The passenger compartment, set far back, extends in a teardrop shape beyond the rear axle, reminiscent of the legendary Mercedes 540 K Autobahnkurier.
Radiator grille without cooling function
The proportions are particularly impressive, with a stretched front end and the greenhouse positioned far back.
(Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
The large radiator grille, which no longer serves a cooling function, is impressive, but instead illuminates—as in the new electric GLC. Its shape is reminiscent of the distinctive Mercedes grilles of the 1960s, such as those worn by the W 110. The grille is flanked by small headlights with a daytime glowing light emblem that references the Mercedes star.
Retro-futurism reigns supreme in the interior. Upon opening the door, the vehicle greets its passengers with an analog animation inspired by fine chronographs. Dark blue, plush upholstery meets Art Deco elements, which, according to Mercedes, are intended to create a "completely new kind of hyper-analog and digital luxury."
Floating glass construction as instrument panel
Retro-futurism reigns supreme in the interior of the Vision Iconic.
(Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
The centerpiece of the cockpit is a floating glass instrument panel, while the four-spoke steering wheel's shape recalls the early days of the automobile. Technically, it relies on modern steer-by-wire technology, which, together with rear-axle steering, is designed to enable agile handling.
According to the manufacturer, the Vision Iconic marks a further step toward highly automated driving. It features enhanced Level 2 assistance functions, and Mercedes is already considering Level 4 in the future: This would allow the driver to fully recline after merging onto the highway, for example, to sleep or stream movies. This will be made possible by new computer architectures that take the increasing energy requirements of autonomous systems into account.
Paint that generates traction current
The drop-shaped, tapered rear of the Vision Iconic presents itself in a simply beautiful manner.
(Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
With the help of neuromorphic computing methods that mimic the way the human brain works, AI processes are expected to become significantly more efficient and faster in the future. According to Mercedes, this could reduce energy consumption for data processing by up to 90 percent.
Mercedes hasn't provided any details about the "Vision Iconic's" powertrain. However, many features point to an electric car, such as the solar-coated paint, which can generate its own electricity. According to the manufacturer, this energy source could provide enough power for up to 12,000 kilometers annually.
Source: ntv.de, Mario Hommen, sp-x
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