Mercedes-Benz just rolled out its Vision Icon Concept a design manifesto disguised as a two-door coupe. This machine bridges nearly a century of heritage and the future, taking cues from the sweeping lines and upright stance of 1930s classics while cramming in the kind of technology car designers used to dream about.
What grabs the eye is that grille. It is massive, chromed, and animated with intricate lighting. Flanked by the new upright star, it shouts Mercedes opulence and instantly walls off the concept from a crowd of forgettable faces. The long hood and sloping fastback are vintage Golden Era, but the details are defiantly modern think solar body panels that top up the battery for up to 12,000 kilometers a year, flowing chrome, and touch-points finished in velvet, mother-of-pearl, and gold.
Inside, the Vision Icon slides into full Art Deco mode with a floating glass dashboard Mercedes calls "Zeppelin," sweeping blue velvet bench seating, and a four-spoke wheel that looks like it leapt from a luxury yacht. Screens run pillar to pillar, with physical clocks doubling as digital assistants and the steering system running full steer-by-wire tech. Want an interior that is both a hyper-analogue lounge and a tech showcase? This is it.
Mercedes says this show car is also their testbed for neuromorphic computing: an AI-inspired chip architecture that radically cuts power use and boosts responsiveness for self-driving systems. In level 4 hands-off mode, it works silently, while the human touches and analog-inspired switches show the brand’s new thinking about digital overload.
No, you won't see this exact coupe rolling down the street. But you can expect Mercedes sedans, coupes, and SUVs, especially electrics, to borrow inspiration from its illuminated grille, curvaceous surfacing, ultra-posh materials, and solar power tricks. The Vision Icon has one foot in the past, the other pointed straight into the electric, AI-driven automotive future