Thursday 26th March 2009

Is This The Future Of Mercedes-Benz?

Young Merc designers build homage to 1886 Benz

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No, this isn’t the illegitimate love child of a penny farthing and a Mercedes-McLaren SLR. This is the F-CELL Roadster, a design study by a group of the Mercedes-Benz trainees.

The unusual styling is a nod to one of Mercedes’ original car designs, the 1886 Benz Patent Motor Car, and combines the familiar modern-day face of Mercedes with cutting-edge 21st century technology. Power comes from a rear mounted 1.2kW fuel cell system, making the F-CELL completely emission-free.

Its young designers have replaced the conventional steering wheel with a joystick to control the F-Cell’s drive-by-wire system, but it won’t be setting any blistering 0-60mph times, though, as its limited to a top speed of 16mph, well within the limit of the extremely narrow tyres. The company also claim it’s good for a 220 mile range, although if you’re going that far you might want to consider something a bit faster.

As you’d expect on an cutting-edge, 21st century car there are plenty of modern materials, with carbon fibre bucket seats wrapped in hand-stitched leather and fibreglass bodywork based on Formula One racing parts.

It took a team of more than 150 junior employees over a year to complete the project, and although it will never see the light of day its good to know there’s an exciting crop of talent waiting in the wings over at Mercedes.

[stuart-b]

That could be your SLR courtesy car.

[JRM Rossi]

lol its needing some wider rubber & mabe slightly smaller wheels? then a propper engine v12 ???

[mechsympathy]

The Article said:

making the F-CELL completely emission-free.

Apart from the enormous amounts of energy used to produce the hydrogen? Seems a shame for PH to be peddling eco-nonsense.

[morgrp]

I managed to find this spy shot of them testing it on the net:

[HowMuchLonger]

Surely this is ultra light with little rotating mass; in which case why such poor performance? Or was it simply a design study concentrating on aesthetics?

[kambites]

HowMuchLonger said:

Surely this is ultra light with little rotating mass; in which case why such poor performance? Or was it simply a design study concentrating on aesthetics?

Because it has 1.2kw - that's slightly under 2bhp.

[OJ]

They appear to have confused 'styling cues from the past' with slapping a set of penny farthing wheels on Jean Luc Picard's weekend car

[ewenm]

kambites said:

HowMuchLonger said:

Surely this is ultra light with little rotating mass; in which case why such poor performance? Or was it simply a design study concentrating on aesthetics?

Because it has 1.2kw - that's slightly under 2bhp.

I think you have about that much power on a tandem with 2 fit people pedaling and you'd certainly do more than 16mph

[kambites]

ewenm said:

kambites said:

HowMuchLonger said:

Surely this is ultra light with little rotating mass; in which case why such poor performance? Or was it simply a design study concentrating on aesthetics?

Because it has 1.2kw - that's slightly under 2bhp.

I think you have about that much power on a tandem with 2 fit people pedaling and you'd certainly do more than 16mph

True, but apparently the tyres can't cope with going faster, which seems a bit odd.

[OJ]

kambites said:

HowMuchLonger said:

Surely this is ultra light with little rotating mass; in which case why such poor performance? Or was it simply a design study concentrating on aesthetics?

Because it has 1.2kw - that's slightly under 2bhp.

Am I the only person that thinks a vehicle pointless which has a horsepower number that could realistically be achieved by attaching horses to the front of it?

A pony would probably have a better power to weight... carbon neutral too

[BigI]

I think its interesting as a concept, they are not saying that they are going to make it (who would buy it and where would you use it)
I like the design.

[mechsympathy]

OJ said:

carbon neutral too

Don't you start

[Strawman]

Are those a set of early Alpina wheels?

[OJ]

mechsympathy said:

OJ said:

carbon neutral too

Don't you start

Sorry, what I meant was Powwwaaahhhh!!!

[Parrot of Doom]

Interesting vehicle, but tbh I'd rather just have a good bicycle.

[BoxxerUCI]

Looks like one of those soapbox racers!

[Arj]

OJ said:

A pony would probably have a better power to weight... carbon neutral too

Don't they produce methane?

Edited by Arj on Thursday 26th March 12:26

[350Matt]

this took 150 people a year!!!


I hope they were doing something else as well

[OJ]

Arj said:

OJ said:

A pony would probably have a better power to weight... carbon neutral too

Don't they produce methane?

Edited by Arj on Thursday 26th March 12:26

Well none of the greenies seem to care about cow farts, why would they be bothered by horse farts?

[oagent]

With Merc reliability and a whopping 16mph, it would probably stand a pretty good chance on the London to Brighton run this yr too.

Had this been on sale in 1908 I bet there would have been loads of takers, sadly its about 100 yrs too late.