Automotive

Mercedes reinvents the experimental C111 as an all-electric stunner

Mercedes reinvents the experimental C111 as an all-electric stunner
Mercedes brings back the C111 with modern curves
Mercedes brings back the C111 with modern curves
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Mercedes brings back the C111 with modern curves
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Mercedes brings back the C111 with modern curves
The nose design just doesn't work, in our opinion
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The nose design just doesn't work, in our opinion
The "retro-futuristic" tech used for the front and rear displays might not have been around at the debut of the original C111, but it didn't take long thereafter to arrive
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The "retro-futuristic" tech used for the front and rear displays might not have been around at the debut of the original C111, but it didn't take long thereafter to arrive
The Vision One-Eleven's over-the-top rear diffuser really hits us like a stand holding a car body in place off the ground
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The Vision One-Eleven's over-the-top rear diffuser really hits us like a stand holding a car body in place off the ground
No problems getting in and out of the Vision One-Eleven thanks to those large gull wings
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No problems getting in and out of the Vision One-Eleven thanks to those large gull wings
Enjoying the breeze in the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept car
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Enjoying the breeze in the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept car
Mercedes-Benz presents the Vision One-Eleven sports car study
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Mercedes-Benz presents the Vision One-Eleven sports car study
The original C111 poses with its spiritual successor
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The original C111 poses with its spiritual successor
The Vision One-Eleven also serves as a showcase of the future generation of YASA axial-flux motors Mercedes plans to put into production at its Berlin-Marienfelde plant
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The Vision One-Eleven also serves as a showcase of the future generation of YASA axial-flux motors Mercedes plans to put into production at its Berlin-Marienfelde plant
Good luck clearing a speed bump or modest incline with that splitter and skirts
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Good luck clearing a speed bump or modest incline with that splitter and skirts
Mercedes design chief Gorden Wagener presents the Vision One-Eleven
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Mercedes design chief Gorden Wagener presents the Vision One-Eleven
Mercedes uses the Vision One-Eleven to play with styling and showcase future battery, motor and UI technologies
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Mercedes uses the Vision One-Eleven to play with styling and showcase future battery, motor and UI technologies
Inside the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept
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Inside the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept
Vision One-Eleven luggage compartment
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Vision One-Eleven luggage compartment
The interior rearranges for the Vision One-Eleven's two driving modes
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The interior rearranges for the Vision One-Eleven's two driving modes
The past meets the future with the Vision One-Eleven
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The past meets the future with the Vision One-Eleven
The Vision One-Eleven puts a new spin on the orange-and-black design of the original, this time with a paint Mercedes calls "copper-orange alubeam"
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The Vision One-Eleven puts a new spin on the orange-and-black design of the original, this time with a paint Mercedes calls "copper-orange alubeam"
View from above
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View from above
A look at the Vision One-Eleven's retro-inspired curvy-wedge profile
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A look at the Vision One-Eleven's retro-inspired curvy-wedge profile
Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven
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Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven
Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven
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Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven
Experimenting with the AR user interface
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Experimenting with the AR user interface
Lights on!
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Lights on!
The pixel displays can be used to show messages, as well as lighting
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The pixel displays can be used to show messages, as well as lighting
The Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven uses a liquid-cooled cylindrical-cell battery
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The Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven uses a liquid-cooled cylindrical-cell battery
The upcoming YASA axial flux electric motor compared to common radial flux motor
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The upcoming YASA axial flux electric motor compared to common radial flux motor
Mercedes says the YASA axial-flux motor packs more power and torque than the common radial-flux motor
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Mercedes says the YASA axial-flux motor packs more power and torque than the common radial-flux motor
Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven
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Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven
Mercedes says it minimizes controls around the interior, but that clearly does not apply to the steering wheel
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Mercedes says it minimizes controls around the interior, but that clearly does not apply to the steering wheel
E-motor inspired wheels
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E-motor inspired wheels
The Vision One-Eleven uses an active rear wing that lowers neatly into the bodywork
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The Vision One-Eleven uses an active rear wing that lowers neatly into the bodywork
Like playing electronic games in the 70s
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Like playing electronic games in the 70s
Mercedes-Benz looks to bring driving to life with AR
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Mercedes-Benz looks to bring driving to life with AR
View gallery - 33 images

Mercedes-Benz has revived one of its great experimental vehicles, reinterpreting the gorgeously wedged C111 as a modern-day gull-winged supercar. Instead of exploring Wankels and turbos, the new Vision One-Eleven dives deeper into the worlds of all-electric performance, autonomous driving and augmented reality. It's centered around a pair of potent YASA axial-flux motors and features a UI blending next-gen AR with old-school digital. The dramatic two-seater promises to steal any crowd's attention, whether it's testing on the track or simply standing still on stage.

The original Mercedes-Benz C111 was born in the wedge-happy days of 1969. Unlike famous wedge concept cars of the time, the C111 was more than just a show-stealing design study, created as an experimental testbed for new technologies of the time. In fact, it wasn't just a single car but a series of 16, with which Mercedes explored Wankel and turbodiesel engines and polymer-based body construction. The car became something of a Mercedes icon, owing to its unique styling, extreme aerodynamics, cutting-edge experimental technologies and distinctive orange-and-black paint.

With the all-new Vision One-Eleven, Mercedes uses history as a lens for looking into the future. The new concept car shares a general wedge-like shape with the original but reinterprets it using modern bodywork. Its undulating muscles look like they were poured out from a vat of molten metal, much like the automaker's 2013 Vision Gran Turismo and 2018 Vision EQ Silver Arrow. Only this time around, Mercedes swaps out the liqui-metal silver paint for an orange-and-black look handed down from the original C111 but modernized with a deeper, more shimmery shade of orange that greets the eye differently depending upon where one stands in relation to the light.

The original C111 poses with its spiritual successor
The original C111 poses with its spiritual successor

Sadly, what Mercedes points to as one of the Vision One-Eleven's stand-out departures from C111 styling is also the new concept's biggest pitfall. The bulging front fenders and sleek hood taper into a long, broad front fascia that reminds us more of a vacuum attachment or widened anteater snout than a sports car face. The fact that the "grille" is actually a flexible digital display with 3D pixelated graphics and digital round lights really doesn't make us like it any more, and we miss the original C111's sleeker, more subtle (and analog) grille.

Another '69-to-'23 styling departure comes by way of the Vision One-Eleven's ground-suckingly low stance, defined by an extreme lower aero package so pronounced it looks like a pedestal holding the car off the ground, especially at the rear. The combination of tall, oversized rear diffuser and low front-end accentuate the wedge-like proportions to the point it feels almost dragster-like when viewed from behind.

Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven
Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven

Other design elements worth noting include the huge gull-wing doors that open to leave entries large enough to cartwheel into, an oblong rear display with pixeled-over light rounds mirroring the front-end (and looking better doing it), and massive wheels sculpted to evoke electric motor windings.

Autonomous car concepts are usually more spacious, comfortable four-doors, but Mercedes uses the Vision One-Eleven to explore how autonomous tech could influence the design of a sports coupe interior. In race mode, the backrests pop upright and the instrument touchscreen focuses the driver's attention. In lounge mode, the seats recline and melt away into the greater interior structure, melding with the sills, center tunnel and luggage compartment into a single spacious lounge.

Enjoying the breeze in the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept car
Enjoying the breeze in the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept car

The interior design minimizes buttons and features but still manages to catch the eye with its white and orange color scheme, not to mention the eye-assaulting shiny quilted seats that look ripped straight from the original C111's era. The white honeycomb fabric is crafted from 100% recycled polyester, while the orange leather has been sustainably processed, tanned using coffee bean husks. We certainly hope the seats are upholstered with recycled space blankets, but no confirmation on that, yet.

The interior rearranges for the Vision One-Eleven's two driving modes
The interior rearranges for the Vision One-Eleven's two driving modes

In terms of technology, Mercedes sidesteps the high-res color touchscreens that are de rigueur around the industry in favor of a retro-futuristic 8-bit pixelated display running the width of the dashboard. Mercedes sees the coarse pixelated blocks as a way of really highlighting key figures like current speed.

Drivers looking for a more modern digitized experience need only drop on the specially programmed Magic Leap 2 AR headset to immerse themselves in high-definition digital content blended seamlessly with the real, physical world just outside the lenses. Mercedes sees it as the next step beyond screen-based user interfaces, floating a zero-layer configuration of information, including modules, 3D icons and navigational mapping. Where applicable, these elements are fused with the world outside – digital map instructions projected onto the driver's view of the road ahead, for instance, and information pertaining to local points of interest cast onto their respective points in space. The system also "deletes" obstructions such as the A-pillars and car hood, creating a cleaner, more complete driver view.

Mercedes-Benz looks to bring driving to life with AR
Mercedes-Benz looks to bring driving to life with AR

Like the original C111, the Vision One-Eleven is something of a rolling laboratory of powertrain tech. Mercedes has made some serious gains with prototype battery technology, and the One-Eleven looks to continue forward with its advanced motorsport-derived battery pack featuring liquid-cooled cylindrical cells with a novel F1 chemistry. Those cells fire power into a pair of rear-mounted YASA axial-flux motors that Mercedes quantifies only as "exceptionally powerful."

"Axial-flux motors are significantly lighter and more compact, yet more powerful, than comparable radial-flux motors currently used in 99% of all electric cars," says YASA founder and CTO Tim Woolmer. "In an axial-flux motor, the electromagnetic flow runs parallel to the motor’s rotational axis, which is highly efficient. Compared to radial-flux motors, they have considerably higher and more enduring power reserves, which delivers a whole new level of performance."

The Vision One-Eleven also serves as a showcase of the future generation of YASA axial-flux motors Mercedes plans to put into production at its Berlin-Marienfelde plant
The Vision One-Eleven also serves as a showcase of the future generation of YASA axial-flux motors Mercedes plans to put into production at its Berlin-Marienfelde plant

Mercedes-Benz AG acquired YASA in 2021, and the company is now a wholly owned Mercedes subsidiary. It plans to build the next-gen axial-flux motors at the Mercedes-Benz Berlin-Marienfelde manufacturing plant for use in future performance cars.

Mercedes does not say if the Vision One-Eleven will go on to become a working testbed like its spiritual predecessor or directly influence a future supercar, but it does say it's launching the "Limited Edition 1 of 111" collection alongside the concept car. So if you want to buy some overpriced vanity merch that doesn't look nearly as good in bright orange and black as the car, you'll have a selection of goods like travel bags and binoculars over which to fight other overeager consumers.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

View gallery - 33 images
15 comments
15 comments
WillyDoodle
Thank goodness for yet another super exotic electric car when most people can't even afford the basic offerings from this industry.
Chris D
This retro/modern aero design is missing the appeal. Firstly the lines of the original car it is based on were never in my view aesthetically sweet. Unfortunately they still went ahead and used that as the basis for this design. Electric is not a cheap sell and far worse is a sportscar. What is the range going to be like in cold weather? After ten years and the batteries need replacement, how will the value depreciate? Where is all the lithium cadmium and cobalt being mined and what health and safety environmental protections exist in those locations? Is there enough of these resources on earth to use to replace the yearly petrol-based vehicle sales?

The whole point of a sportscar is to have an aggressive yet appealing exterior. This just doesn't work out. The aero treatments are the best parts of the design. That nose and boring linear curved design goes nowhere near desirable.

The interior styling study is both cluttered on the steering wheel and utterly dismal with the minimalist dashboard. The seats appear to be the only redeemable feature. On the plus side I also liked the color choice for the exterior and steering wheel. the seats and rest of dashboard needed more pop, but that won't be a big issue compared to other flaws noted.
Unsold
I don't expect to see anything remotely like this in the retail space. It's more a reassurance exercise regarding the tech. Anyone with the necessity for a vehicle so expressed is likely from another planet. Iridescent orange and silver... Yow.
P51d007
Only people that will afford this will be the sports superstars, hollyweirdos, politicians and other elitist.
Instead of manufacturing vehicles and goods the general public can afford, they make these over priced toys.
Username
I prefer Buchmann's brother CW-311 over the C111. That said, if anybody asks me, yes please !
Noah Tall
Immaculate!
The minds and hearts, not so much.
brian
In the mid/late 90's worked out of Singapore and was thinking of trying to get involved in alternative-fueled vehicle development in SE Asia. More particular I was very interested in that Chrysler project to put a flywheel-powered car into the Le Mans race.
FLYWHEEL Energy Storage Systems - Technical Discussion | YachtForums: We Know Big Boats! http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/technical-discussion/13441-flywheel-energy-storage-systems.html

One of my thoughts at that time was if you really wanted to promote this alternative-fuel tech here in SE Asia, why not put such a power plant into a replica 300 Gullwing,....particularly since the highest per-capta ownership of MB in the world is in Singapore. It sure would get a lot of attention.
Flywheel and Electric Pkg in 300 SL gullwing


Later in the 2010 era I was now living part time in Thailand and the thought of a replica 300 Gullwing had re-entered my mind again. I know of a few fiberglass boatbuilder here that could produce the bodies. Just wondering about what sort of list for the most difficult parts are to get for a kit gullwing project??...I know i have heard fiberglass is one, but I'm betting that with all of the huge amount of car building here in Thailand, that somewhere it could be built right here? The 7 biggest capital companies in Thailand at the time were auto related. Thailand is truly auto crazy.

Promote an advanced electric car development program for SE Asia (and maybe the world) based out of Thailand/Malaysia/Singapore, with experiments carried out in a Gullwing looking vehicle.
brian
Wrong car,...should have chosen the 300 Gullwing
guzmanchinky
Chris D, your quotes from right wing news "sources" are outdated and boring. The industry has moved on significantly since then. We are now producing lithium in the deserts of California in amounts that would supply the world and the other exotic metals are finding substitutes almost every month.
As far as the car is concerned, I think it's awesome. I saw the original at the museum in Germany and it still looks incredible, this new one even more so...
FoFu
That's a Spyker.
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