Mercedes
Vision Tokyo Concept
The
Vision Tokyo is the latest trailblazing spatial experience to come from
Mercedes-Benz: its monolithic structure, futuristic design idiom and unique
lounge ambience in the interior define it as luxurious, young and progressive -
thus making it a fitting tribute to the sophisticated megacity and trendsetting
metropolis that is Tokyo. Spatially efficient, versatile and intelligently
connected, the Vision Tokyo - which is also capable of driving autonomously -
is an urban transformer that reflects the growing youthfulness of the
Mercedes-Benz brand.
Japan's
capital city Tokyo represents home to some nine million people, in an area that
is just 622 square kilometres in size - smaller than Paris but with more than
four times as many people. This megacity represents a fascinating combination
of tradition and contemporary high tech and is constantly defining new trends -
making it the ideal location for the premiere of the Mercedes-Benz Vision
Tokyo. It will be on display to an international audience for the first time at
the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show.
Hot
on the heels of the F 015 Luxury in Motion autonomously driving luxury saloon
comes the Vision Tokyo, with which Mercedes-Benz aims to show how the car of
the future can be turned into a hip living space - a chill-out zone in the
midst of megacity traffic mayhem.
The
Vision Tokyo is a homage to the urban Generation Z, the cohort of people born
since 1995 who have grown up with the new media. The role of the vehicle has
changed for this global generation: it is no longer simply a means of getting
around, but a digital, automobile companion. The Vision Tokyo takes things
another step further: innovative algorithms allow it to evolve constantly; Deep
Machine Learning and an intelligent Predictive Engine mean that, with each
journey, it becomes more and more familiar with its occupants, their likes and
preferences. All of which makes the Vision Tokyo the perfect partner for
Generation Z.
The
spaciousness of the Vision Tokyo marks a new conceptual approach for
Mercedes-Benz Cars. These proportions are emphasised by the monochrome Alubeam
paintwork and by side windows screen-printed in the colour of the vehicle.
These give the vehicle's occupants privacy, while at the same time allowing
sufficient light to penetrate into the interior and an unimpeded view out.
Surfaces
and lines illuminated in blue - among them the 26-inch wheels and the side
skirts - provide unexpected colour highlights and are indicative of the concept
car's emission-free electric drive system. A pointer to the potential for
autonomous operation and the comprehensive system of vehicle environment
sensors that this requires, including a 360-degree camera, is provided by the
fin on the vehicle roof.
Instead
of a conventional windscreen, the Vision Tokyo features a continuous stretch of
glass panelling - similar to the glazed cockpit of a powerboat. As was the case
with the AMG Vision Gran Turismo, the front headlamps are set well to either
side and at an angle. The area across the front of the vehicle can be used to
display a series of different lighting functions. If music is playing inside
the vehicle the display will, for example, visualise a sound pattern, rather
like a sound analyser. The rear window is set into a surrounding ring of red
LED cubes, which gives it visual depth. Once again, the LED field can be put to
good use - as an indicator display or as part of the analyser function.
The
dimensions of the Vision Tokyo (length/width/height: 4803/2100/1600 mm) are comparable
with those of a mid-series vehicle. Up to five passengers access the interior
via the upward-swinging door on the left-hand side - ideal for the
right-hand-drive traffic in Japan's megacity. The conventional seating
arrangement in rows is thus redundant, while there is also no "front"
or "back" here: passengers take their seats instead on a large,
oval-shaped couch. This unique lounge-style arrangement allows everyone on
board to enjoy the benefits of autonomous driving. For even though the members
of "Generation Z" are frequent users of social media, they
nevertheless prefer personal contact whenever possible. And it is for this face‑to-face communication that the
seat layout has been optimised. As a contemporary-style club lounge, the Vision
Tokyo brings people together. With the car in autonomous driving mode they are
able to chill and chat, without having to worry about steering a way through
the dense traffic.
Behind
the passengers are large wraparound LED screens. The perforated seats are back-lit,
giving rise to a high-tech ambience that presents an intentional contrast to
the soft surface finish of the pale leather. Apps, maps and displays emanating
from the entertainment system are presented as three-dimensional holograms
within the interior space.
The
bodyshell of the Vision Tokyo has been designed to allow the crash-protected
integration of a fuel cell-powered electric drive system. This is based on the
trailblazing F-CELL PLUG-IN HYBRID of the F 015 Luxury in Motion and combines
the on-board generation of electricity with a particularly powerful and compact
high-voltage battery that can be charged contactlessly via induction. The use
of pressure tanks made from CFRP is envisaged for the storage of hydrogen in
the concept car. The electric hybrid system has a total range of 980
kilometres, of which some 190 kilometres are courtesy of battery-powered
driving and around 790 kilometres on the electricity produced in the fuel cell.