What you’re looking at is a design study for Mercedes Benz, a design study that asks the question: what will the Mercedes-Benz G-Class be like in 2025? This is a design study only, but one that will appear in the flesh/sheet-metal at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show that The Fast Lane Car will be covering.
Will this paramilitary-like Mercedes-Benz G-Class, or a vehicle like it be produced? Mercedes-Benz does do cutting-edge design and they are known for taking risks – from time to time. If the public reaction to this design study is positive… well, you never know.
I added some excerpts from the press release, but don’t let the vague nature of the information confuse you. This is a very real vehicle and I guarantee Mercedes-Benz already has a working, production-capable, power-train ready to test. For now, look at this Mercedes-Benz G-Class Ener-G-Force Concept as an answer for many questions about the future and relevance of SUVs.
Check out this quote from Gorden Wagener, Director of Design at Mercedes-Benz Cars: “The Ener-G-Force is the vision of an off-roader that, while reflecting tomorrow’s adventures, also invokes the genes of the Mercedes-Benz off-road icon, the G model. Modern and cool, it could also be a clue about a new beginning for the off-road design idiom of Mercedes-Benz.”
Oh and check out this tidbit about the power source, range and recycled water… no kidding.
“The Ener-G-Force stores recycled water in tanks on the roof, and transfers it to the “hydro-tech converter,” where natural and renewable resources are converted into hydrogen for operating the fuel cells. The storage units for the electricity generated in this process are housed easily accessible in the striking side skirts. The Ener-G-Force emits nothing but water, has an operating range of about 800 kilometres and as a result truly is a green car. Four wheel-hub motors, whose output for each individual wheel is adapted precisely to the respective terrain by high-performance electronics, provide the pulling power.
A “Terra-Scan” 360-degree topography scanner on the roof permanently scans the surroundings and uses the results to adjust the spring and damping rates as well as other suspension parameters for maximum traction on the respective surface, regardless of whether it is in terrain or on the road.”
“The strikingly styled side skirts house either the energy storage units or hot-swappable battery packs. Changes in the colour of the illumination of the side skirts indicate the operating and charge status of the energy packs. A roof carrier and additional lamps are integrated into the roof. The ensemble appears to have been carved from a single piece. The overall package of this design model is a clean thing – stylistically and functionally.” – – Mercedes-Benz AG
Sounds good no?
Remember: this is a design study only and more information will be available when we see this baby at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
For now, check out this fun video with Roman geeking-out over this high powered Mercedes-Benz he recently tested.
I think its mighty cool looking – what about you?
