7 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Concepts
Concept cars exist to gauge the public reaction to new technology, new styling, and overall brand direction. Mercedes has had a number of concepts that went on to production, but these are the ones that never saw the green light.
Mercedes Can Get Creative Every Now And Then
We're starting off this list with a violation of our own rules. Because technically the F300 Life Jet could be considered a motorcycle. However, this three-wheeled ride had more in common with cars, according to EVO magazine. It was about the same size as an A-class, but used Active Tilt Control to roll the body based on steering input. That same tech is on today's MB's with Active Body Control.
Photo courtesy of EVO
The Raddest Minivan Ever?
Seldom seen together are the words "rad" and "minivan," But the Mercedes F 100 concept aptly adheres them together. This car is now cool in appearance with its three-spoke wheels and wild door openings, but it had tech well ahead of its time. According to Mercedes, this car had blind-spot warning, traffic monitoring, keyless entry, and more... in 1991.
Photo courtesy of Mercedes
Before The AMG ONE, There Was The C112
Research cars and concept cars are two different things. One is a test mule to see how new components work, and the other is usually a study to see the public reaction. According to Wikipedia, the C112 was the concept evolution of the C111 run of Mercedes test cars. With a 6.0 V12 and gullwing doors, this 1991 concept C112 predated the Pagani by 8 years. Coincidentally, Pagani's car was named the Zonda C12. Coincidence?
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Mercedes NAFA Makes Smart Car Look Enormous
In 1981, Mercedes debuted the NAFA. NAFA was short for "nahverkehrsfahrzeug" which essentially meant short-distance vehicle. Coincidentally the name was longer than the car. According to Motor1, the NAFA was only 2.5 meters long and inspired the packaging of the A-class and Smart ForTwo.
Photo courtesy of Motor1
Steer By Joystick In The F 200 Imagination
Just like the F300 Life Jet, the F200 Imagination aimed to take an all-new approach to driving. But the F 200 was joy-stick controlled, and the F100 wasn't. Either way, Top Gear noted that the F200's joystick was in fact a working concept, but the general populous just can't wrap their mind around such a controller, at least for a car.
Photo courtesy of TopGear
Vario Research Car Could Be An SUV and Sports Coupe
Crossover SUVs weren't really around in 1995, but the market was gunning for that space anyway. Mercedes tried to create an all-things-to-all-people in the form of the Vario Research Car. MotorTrend shows us this concept had detachable body panels from the A-pillar rearward meant you could have a coupe, 2-door SUV, a pickup or a convertible. Nice concept, till you have to figure out where to store half of an SUV because it's a Cabrio kind of day.
Photo courtesy of MotorTrend
Mercedes-Benz SLX May Be Their Most Gorgeous Car
In the very same year that Lamborghini debuted the Muira, Mercedes had this concept, called the SLX. The concept from 1966 never made it beyond a full-scale wooden model, according to TopSpeed. It's a shame really, as this Paul Bracq designed concept was well ahead of its time.
Photo courtesy of TopSpeed
>>Join the conversation about these underrated Mercedes concepts right here in MBWorld.org
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our How-to section in the forum.
