The Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic Integrates Art Deco Aesthetics With Autonomous Driving Technology

The latest Benz prototype, featuring an innovative solar coating, has the potential to go up to 7,450 miles continuously under optimal conditions.

Mercedes-Benz

The Mercedes-Benz Vision ideas are designed to forecast the future of the German brand's lineup, encompassing opulent minivans and all-electric supercars inspired by spacecraft. The latest Vision Iconic invention is an electric car featuring autonomous driving capabilities, yet its very retro design aspects render it possibly the most memorable within the Vision concept series.

The front's classic chrome grille, characterized by a smoked-glass lattice design and integrated contour illumination, references a significant design feature found on numerous vintage models. The grates evoke the W 108 and W 111 models from the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the prominent Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman luxury limousine, which served as the flagship from the 1960s until the 1980s. The predominantly unaltered star ornament references vehicles from Mercedes' history and contemporary designs, while the slender three-spoke headlights and high-gloss black finish are distinctly modern.

Mercedes-Benz

The interior is audacious and replete with anachronisms. The buoyant glass edifice, named “Zeppelin” due to its elongated form, has an instrument cluster that activates with a cinematic, wholly analog animation influenced by luxury chronographs. Positioned directly before the driver is a cluster of timepieces, one of which functions as an AI assistant. Behind the Zeppelin is a collapsible ornamental surface adorned with an inlay resembling mother-of-pearl, harmonizing with the authentic mother-of-pearl inlay on the door panels. The seats and floor are upholstered in deep blue velvet, and the four-spoke steering wheel showcases a Mercedes-Benz emblem suspended in a glass sphere.

Despite its audacious aesthetic decisions, the Vision Iconic features intriguing technology, including a wafer-thin solar covering that could significantly enhance the range of its electric vehicles. The solar coating, when utilized on a vehicle the size of the Vision Iconic, has the potential to produce sufficient energy to power up to 7,450 kilometers in optimal conditions. Currently, the 512-mile 2025 Lucid Air Grand Touring boasts the highest range of any electric vehicle available.

Mercedes-Benz

The manufacturer Vision Iconic features neuromorphic computing—technology that emulates the human brain—to enhance the efficiency of autonomous driving considerably. This technology may achieve efficiency levels up to tenfold compared to existing configurations, potentially decreasing energy demands for autonomous data processing by 90 percent.

The Vision Iconic also showcases the future of assisted driving, equipped with advanced Level 2 city capabilities, including cooperative steering and acceleration for intricate urban situations. Mercedes-Benz is developing a car for Level 4 highly automated driving, enabling the driver to fully disengage on the interstate and using the interior as a "luxurious lounge" for relaxation or video streaming. Upon arrival, a Level 4 parking feature enables the vehicle to autonomously park without driver involvement in practically all situations.

Mercedes-Benz

This exhibition car, inspired by the 1930s golden era of automobile design, encapsulates the quintessential essence of Mercedes-Benz. Featuring an expansive hood that imparts a regal stature, elegant sculptural lines, and elements of Art Deco, it ascends to embody a genuine symbol of automotive aesthetics, stated Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer of Mercedes.

Mercedes-Benz

The interior features a continuous bench seat and an exquisite rear, reminiscent of the iconic 300 SL. Our Vision Iconic transcends mere automotive status; it embodies a kinetic sculpture, a tribute to enduring elegance, and a proclamation for the future. The integration of traditional craftsmanship, cutting-edge technology, and a distinctive design language constitutes the pinnacle of value, prestige, and elegance: the epitome of beauty and distinction.