► Inspired by 1930s design
► Showcases Stuttgart’s new grille
► Features solar coating and neuromorphic AI, obviously
This isn’t the latest Batmobile, this is the Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic, a new concept car that pushes the boundaries of Stuttgart’s new design language. Revealed as part of a capsule collection, Iconic Vision takes the new grille found on the GLC EV and runs with it. What’s more, it also shows what Mercedes new face would look like on a car with a longer bonnet – such as something S-Class-sized.
Inspired by the golden era of automotive design of the 1930s, this show car embodies the pure essence of Mercedes‑Benz,’ said Mercedes chief design officers, Gorden Wagener. ‘With its seemingly hood giving it a majestic presence, sculptural flowing lines, and a touch of Art Deco, it rises to become a true icon of automotive beauty.’
It does, and that’s because like the GLC EV it ditches Mercedes’ bulbous EQ design language and replaces it with something considerably more traditional looking.
With that in mind, the Vision Iconic channels the Stuttgart back catalogue, with elements of the W108, W11 and 600 Pullman. Mercedes has also illuminated the three-pointed star car the front of the car. CAR understands that elements of this car’s grille could well find themselves on the next S-Class.
The new grille is flanked by slim headlights (with the Mercedes star in, of course) and the rest of the car is finished in deep high-gloss paint.
This is where things start to get a bit weirder. Stuttgart’s designers have kept to the 1930s theme, creating dashboard which looks like something from Mr Freeze’s lab – combined with a museum exhibit. Stuttgart is calling it ‘hyper analogue,’ and it’s the antithesis to the current touchscreen-heavy interior ethos.
Front and centre is a floating glass capsule called the Zeppelin, and behind that a decorative surface with a faux mother-of-pearl inlay. There are no touchscreens here, although in this case they’d be a little easier to understand.
Slightly less complex is the classically proportioned and finished steering wheel, though here it’s attached to steer-by-wire system which also uses the rear-axle.
Being a concept, the Iconic Vision also benefits from of Stuttgart’s far-out technologies. First is solar coating, that could generate an extra 7400 extra miles a year of range in Stuttgart weather. Mercedes already has teams of engineers already working on making this a real thing. The concept envisages a five micrometer thin coating of photovoltaic paint that lets 94% of the sun’s light through, and is over 20% efficient.
Next up is neuromorphic computing that mimics how the human brain works to more efficiently power AI systems – which isn’t sinister at all. Mercedes’ sums say it’s up to 10 times more efficient than current systems, and can save 90% of the energy used by today’s computing solutions.
Curtis Moldrich is CAR magazine’s Digital Editor and has worked for the brand for the past five years. He’s responsible for online strategy, including CAR’s website, social media channels such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, and helps on wider platform strategy as CAR magazine branches out on to Apple News+ and more.
By Curtis Moldrich
CAR's Digital Editor, F1 and sim-racing enthusiast. Partial to clever tech and sports bikes
