 |
| Mercedes Ener-G-Force: The study is a Highway Patrol vehicle to represent the year 2025. (Mercedes) |
They started with a few sketches times. But in the meantime, Mercedes, the LA Design Challenge so serious that the Schwaben for the creative competition of the Los Angeles Auto Show this time have even set up a complete vehicle. And what a.
Really seriously the LA Design Challenge has so far taken no. A few oblique ideas and a few colorful sketches - that was all that the design studios have filed in California in recent years for the creative competition for auto show in Los Angeles. And even at the show was to see them no more than a few life-size cardboard stand.
But since Gordon Wagener, the design division of Mercedes leads, at least this is a bit different with the Swabians. Wagener, who has finally passed even once the studio in Carlsbad, California knows about the value of competition and the power that can release such a tender for its employees. "For us this is a kind of wildcard that we play with growing enthusiasm," says the head of design. Because with such studies can worn his staff much free work and develop new ideas much easier than for a specific project series. Not for nothing has Mercedes in recent years suddenly started to ask for the competition to three-dimensional designs like the biomes on the wheels. And this year, Wagener's team turns the wheel a bit further: For the first time build the Swabians on a complete vehicle.
Highway Patrol Vehicle
In search of the requested by the jury "Highway Patrol Vehicle" for the year 2025 they have found it in the past and have found the good old G-Class. The SUV reptile that has defied since his debut 30 years ago every fashion and today still almost looks the same as in the premiere in 1979, is on the storyboard designer for Energ-G-Force - a modern Monster Jeep with fuel cell Blue light and balloon tires, nothing and no one can stop. "And life in uniform, the G-Class is by no means strange," Wagener says, looking at the black and white police livery of the first sketches, which is the study as well as the G-Class the Olive Federal blows or the blue of the Technical Relief.
For the competition, these colorful little picture rich. But the idea of the SUV of the future, the designers of the Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad has fascinated so that they have developed the fiction of the police version to a civilian version and as a 1:1 model even on its wheels. For far too long has not dared to Stuttgart in the G-class zoom.
Deliberately exaggerated design
Of course, now, no one may expect that already in two years, a new G-Class. And certainly is the form of the study is no blueprint for the next generation, rowing back Wagener. "We have the car deliberately exaggerated that no one can hope for," he says, looking at the body jacked up on huge wheels and the like in return for a U.S. tuning model, ie chopped lowered roof. But first, the Swabians wanted to design to show everyone that the classic certainly has a future. And secondly wants Wagener tune the Mercedes clientele to a stylistic division of the SUV range: On the one hand, it will in future be the fashionable city-SUV that will be for a little more sporty and slim. And on the other hand, he sees the wolf in the spirit of G that are not robust and rustic to be exact - as the Ener-G-Force plane.
We want to create new classics
Retro design separates it from, however, says Wagener, "We want to build no classic, but to create new classics." Therefore, the Ener-G-Force takes a conscious departure from the dictates of the edge that the G-Class has dominated for 30 years . Instead absolutely planner sheets, the study has therefore highly contoured surfaces, corners may like to be around, and where once was an edge, it can not now time to give it a curve. But with a few details clear the designers all doubt as to the parentage of the futuristic Wühlers aside: The grille for example has therefore almost the same shape as the original, the wheel arches are just molded shape, the roof is in both cases, a horizontal line, the so-called toolbox tool for the expedition at the tail looks like past the spare wheel. If you still doubt as to the authenticity, the look, the only study in the spotlight: the radiation precisely thanks to LED technology with that letter, with the off-road history began 30 years ago: a G.
Science fiction art
While the shape is with a few smears therefore quite serious, the designers have left at the art of the study of their imagination. The Terra-scan system, probed with the radar, and video of the terrain and set the four-wheel drive trip is perfect for his site, although not so far removed from reality. Finally, a similar technique raise the new S-Class of all road bumps away and literally make the flying carpet. But a fuel cell that runs on hydrogen from rainwater is as science fiction as electric wheel hub motors, which will bring a car this size 800 kilometers ahead. "But to be allowed a little spinning involvement in such studies yes," advertises Wagener understanding.
After all, his team has now demonstrated after the biome is the second time that their designs for the LA Design Challenge work not only in two but in three dimensions. Now only thing missing is that such a car is learning sometimes go right. But what is not, can still become.
Thank you for reading our article about Mercedes Ener-G-Force for the LA Design Challenge at THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD BLOG If you like it,you can share this article to your friends