Mercedes-Benz has given an insight into future design and technology trends with the unveiling of the Vision Iconic concept.
The two-door coupé “infuses” art deco design with solar paint and neuromorphic computing
Conceived to build “a bridge between past and future”, the two-door coupé features art deco design from the 1930s and is also “infused” with latest technologies including solar paint, Level 4 automated driving and neuromorphic computing.
The elegant design is inspired by the German carmaker’s iconic radiator grilles of the past from models such as the W 108, W 111 and the Mercedes- Benz 600 Pullman.
The new grille also gets a wide chromed frame, a smoked-glass lattice structure and integrated contour lighting, showing the brand’s new face, as already debuted on the GLC EQ revealed at Munich last month and intended to enable Mercedes to “stand out from the sea of sameness”. Even the upright star on the bonnet is illuminated.
The interior is “characterised by lounge-like comfort and an entirely new experience of hyper-analogue and digital luxury” and features a one-piece front bench seat and an elegant rear, evoking memories of the legendary 300 SL.
The centrepiece of the instrument panel is a floating glass structure, called the ‘Zeppelin’, while the instrument cluster gets a cinematic, entirely analogue animation said to be inspired by high-end chronographs. The screen includes a clock shaped like the brand logo, acting as an AI companion.
The sumptuous interior elegance continues with mother-of-pearl marquetry, an upholstered front bench seat in deep blue velvet and a four-spoke steering wheel, while the vehicle floor is clad in elaborate straw marquetry, a luxurious decorative technique apparently dating back to the 17th century and revived in the 1920s.
On the outside, the concept gets a deep black high-gloss paint finish to emphasise its sculpted looks while Mercedes is also researching a solar coating that could be applied to the bodywork “similar to a wafer-thin paste” to give extra EV range. The brand says an area of 11 square meters (equivalent to the surface of a mid-size SUV) could produce energy for up to 12,000km (some 7,500 miles) a year under ideal conditions.
Tech breakthroughs also include ‘neuromorphic computing’, which mimics the functioning of the human brain and could make AI calculations significantly more energy-efficient and faster. Examples include faster processing by safety systems of traffic signs lanes, and other road users, enabling them to react faster, even in poor visibility conditions – and making them 10 times more efficient than current systems. Mercedes also says it will reduce the energy required for autonomous driving by up to 90%.
Other future-focused systems include a new steer-by-wire system; such technology does not require a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels but instead, the driver’s steering requests are transmitted quickly and electrical via control units and actuators.
The Vision Iconic also comes with “enhanced Level 2 point-to-point urban capabilities” and Mercedes says a Level 4 highly automated driving system would be the logical next step.