Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off its latest vision (concept), the Vision One-Eleven—which it says is a modern interpretation of Wankel engine-powered C 111 experimental vehicles from the 1960s and 70s. The concept also showcases the latest motor and battery technology.
Mercedes-Benz calls the exterior design a One-Bow design—which I think is fairly understandable. I mean, if you look at the silhouette, it is just one curve (or, “One-Bow” as the folks at MB call it). The front fascia with an oval grille (it’s a pixel display, actually), circular headlights (pixels) and two nostrils is very similar to that of the C 111-II, but the original car also had pop-up headlights—which understandably, are not legal anymore. But the good news, of course, is that the pop-up doors (gullwing doors) are legal. And, at the rear, the oval-shaped fascia with pixelated lights mimics that of the front.
Yes, the original car gives off DMC DeLorean vibes, but the latter debuted over a decade earlier. But anyway, the Vision One-Eleven is painted in copper-orange alubeam—which again, is a reference to the color on the C 111. In case you didn’t notice, the side windows are opaque from the outside and camouflaged by a pixelated pattern.
On the inside, again, the designers have tried to create a fusion of analogue and digital worlds. There’s a 3D pixel display stretching across the full width of the dashboard. Besides showing the current speed, the display shows digital art pieces as a coarsely rasterized stream of QR codes in the style of “early digital” news tickers. But then, the corresponding real image appears on the high-resolution screen next to the steering wheel. The steering wheel looks rather complicated, but apparently, that’s the only highly complex feature in the interior.
Another key highlight on the inside is that as soon as the driver dons the Magic Leap 2 augmented reality headset, the digital content is contextually integrated into their surroundings, making the entire car into a user interface. Being an EV concept in 2023 means, of course, you gotta talk about sustainability. And so, the dashboard is upholstered in a white fabric material made from 100% recycled polyester. And, the leather used was tanned using coffee bean husk.
Moving on to the juicy bits of the story, the Vision One-Eleven is powered by axial-flux electric motors on the rear axle. The motors are developed by UK-based YASA (owned by Mercedes-Benz since 2021). I think the infographics above do a pretty good job of telling you the key differences between axial- and radial-flux motors. The liquid-cooled battery pack comprises cylindrical cells with Formula 1-inspired cell chemistry.
There’s no further explanation whatsoever, but if you’re digging the concept, Mercedes-Benz is selling “LIMITED EDITION 1 OF 111” branded merch that includes a bag, a sunglass, a hoodie, a cap, and of course, an iPhone 14 Pro case.
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