Mercedes’ Avatar-Inspired AVTR Concept Leans Toward A Crazy, Scaly Future

Just wait until you see the back

The Consumer Electronics Show hasn’t historically been a huge car event, but more manufacturers are exhibiting concepts for the future as the show rolls through Las Vegas. This year, Mercedes-Benz went all-in with their ‘Vision Avtr’ electric concept. Apart from the name standing for “Advanced Vehicle Transformation”, it’s clearly a nod toward the movie that inspired it: James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar.

As James Cameron introduced the car during the company’s keynote address in Las Vegas, what he actually revealed certainly looks otherworldly. Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said of the concept, “What I want to focus on is the bond between human and machine.” To that end, designers and engineers supposedly drew inspiration from the fictional world of Pandora to show “a completely new interaction between human, machine and nature.”

Mind you, this is a concept that looks far into the future of personal mobility. This likely won’t be the next S-Class, or even three or four generations after that. But one day, Mercedes is evidently leaning toward completely fluid design and, naturally, completely autonomous controls.

Sticking with the exterior, the really crazy part of the Vision Avtr beyond the wheels is the back. The car has 33 “bionic flaps” on the back move in multiple directions, giving the feature a more animal-like appearance. The red light around each of the scales gives the car an unsettling appearance, though you can’t deny it’s a striking part of the design.

The interior is no less crazy

Inside, there is a spacious looking cabin, though no rear seats in this concept. Instead, you get a swooping seat design with no sharp lines or creases in sight. There’s one continuous central screen that stretches out to the edges and partially down the center console, with one central command dial. Naturally, Mercedes aims to take the system beyond manual control, allowing for what they call “the first truly intuitive gesture control.” The idea is to create as natural a connection with the passengers as possible.

The Mercedes Vision Avtr concept is part of the company’s “Ambition 2039”. In that, the company aims to grow the number of electric vehicles sold and achieve carbon-neutral vehicle production within the next two decades. At this point, we’ve yet to see the company’s first true electric car reach our shores. But, as the rest of the industry shifts toward electrification, we’ll inch ever closer to seeing cars like this down the line.

What do you think of the Avtr Vision concept? Let us know what you think in the comments below.