On display were the fully electric Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet and the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE, the first sports car to bring the power of Formula 1 to the roads. Four eye-catchers. And four fascinating independent roads to the future. The second study of a new era: the Concept EQA, a coupé with a hatchback. With around 400 kilometres of range and powered by two electric motors, this all-wheel machine offers a combined system performance of more than 200 kW and sporty acceleration. In under ten minutes, the car can be recharged to produce a range of 100 kilometres.
“We are going for a modern, independent and expressive design vocabulary with the entire EQ model range,” says Robert Lesnik, head of Exterior Design at Mercedes-Benz. Many design elements featured in the Concept EQA, he explains, embody ‘progressive luxury’. Take the grille, for example, which consists of a display that offers various “ faces” – animations that differ depending on the driving mode. The highlight is the flaming red Panamericana grille in Sport Plus mode. Wilko Stark, head of Product Strategy and Planning and head of CASE, adds, “With the Concept EQA, we are giving a broader look at our EQ product family, which will be successively introduced to the market beginning in 2019. Attractive charging solutions and intelligent services are also in the pipeline so that we can enable our customers to take full advantage of intuitive mobility in their Mercedes-Benz EQ.”
With a view to 2030, Rouven Remp, product manager for smart electric drive, outlines the future in very few words: “ Imagine a time when city centres and conurbations are occupied by fully autonomous vehicles. No more honking, no more stress, no more accidents – and no more emissions. And football scores, weather forecasts and the best restaurant suggestions will be available directly on the display doors of the smart vision EQ fortwo.” The clever two-seater possesses neither a steering wheel nor pedals. Instead, it has a lounge-like seat that can be separated if desired. The driver becomes the passenger and doesn’t even need to own a driving licence. One push of a button on your mobile phone is all it takes to be silently whisked away in the smart vision EQ fortwo: the car comes right to you.
The customer knows ‘their’ car by the name on the black panel grille. “Our goal was to systematically push the concept of inner-city carsharing forward and to make it driverless – around the clock, for everyone,” says Rouven Remp. To make the journey more personal, you can mirror your smartphone’s display on the display in the interior. “The smart vision EQ fortwo is a radical means of mobility that has been designed for the city. It stands to revolutionise the concept of electromobility in an urban environment.”
An electric concept car guaranteed to set pulses racing: The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet defines the ultimate luxury of the future. The generous design of this 2+2-seater – the long bonnet, the boat-tail rear – evokes images of a luxury yacht made for the roads. The innovative and extravagant interior, on the other hand, feels more like an open 360-degree lounge than the cockpit of a car. The entire windscreen serves as a transparent display, with the dashboard stretching across the door trim, all the way to the centre console.
It’s the birth of a legend. Original Formula 1 technology for the roads. Shrouded in mystery, the appearance of the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE has been revealed. With a 1.6-litre engine, this show car boasts upwards of 1,000 hp, thanks to its four electric motors and the same impressive turbo technology used in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 race car. Also of the Formula 1 ilk are the pneumatic valve springs. The engine reaches up to 11,000 rpm with ease – an unheard-of figure for road vehicles. Two electric motors drive the front axis and one is directly integrated into the turbocharger.
The fourth is directly linked to the combustion engine and attached to the crankshaft. By the time this extreme AMG sports car tops out, it will have reached more than 350 km/h. With its cockpit situated far in the front, rear mid-engine and wasp waist, the racing roots in this exceptional vehicle are evident. The Project ONE combines outstanding driving performance and peerless efficiency. And the ergonomically designed interior also brings an authentic Formula 1 feeling to the roads. Limited series production is set to commence in 2019.