Mercedes-Benz Vision EQ Silver Arrow – An Insight Into Future Designs
Futuristic Electric Concept Car Pays Homage To Storied Past
Mercedes-Benz held the world premiere of its one-seater concept – the Vision EQ Silver Arrow – at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, California. The vehicle is prolific in two ways; the first, in which it provides us with a glance into the future of automobiles and the second, for how it pays respect to the W125 Grand Prix championship-winning race car from 1938.
Dubbed the Silver Arrow due to its sleek, pointed design and bare aluminum exterior, the aforementioned race car averaged a remarkable 268.9 mph on the autobahn, over 80 years ago, with legendary racer Rudolf Caracciola as its driver. Back to the present, Mercedes-Benz is launching its electric sub-brand called EQ with the Vision EQ Silver Arrow as its flagship concept.
The Vision EQ Silver Arrow concept has a retro-looking body made primarily of carbon fibre, which is painted Alubeam Silver to replicate the metallic look of the car it is inspired by. At the heart of the car, however, is something much more forward looking – producing 738-horsepower, its fully electric engine has a driving range of over 250 miles via an 80 kWh battery.
All things considered, the electric engine is nothing new, although still in its fledgling stage. Then you have features in the new Silver Arrow, which provide an example of how sci-fi is becoming reality. The best example of this is the panoramic double screen which takes up much of the view from the driver’s seat. Using augmented reality, the screen provides a 3D image of surroundings and can mark lanes which provide inductive charging while the car is being driven.
My personal favorite is the feature which displays a “ghost” competitor based on current or historical attributes, which you can race against on designated roadways – much like what you can do in today’s racing simulators and video games. An A.I. “Virtual Race Coach” is also available to provide the driver with tips and pointers to improve their driving skills. It is not yet clear if the ‘coach’ provides real-time voice feedback during the race, or if it summarises an aggregate of data in an unspecified format post-race. Either way, it sounds amazing.
“Over 80 years ago, the historic Silver Arrows demonstrated that Mercedes-Benz was a pioneer when it came to speed, thanks, among other things, to their streamlined shape,” said Daimler design boss Gorden Wagener. “The EQ Silver Arrow show car draws on that legacy. Intended for acceleration and driving pleasure, it embodies progressive luxury and provides an insight into the future of our design. As a result, the show car drives the design idiom of our new EQ product and technology brand to the top.”
This Mercedes-Benz Vision EQ Silver Arrow concept is more than a car. It is definitely one thing that makes me look forward to the future.
