Over 60 years ago, the Mercedes-Benz W196 took the
Formula One world by storm and won 9 of the 12 races it entered and the world
championship in 1954 and 1955.
Fast forward to 2018 and the Mercedes Formula One
team remains at the forefront of the sport, even though it has yet to win a
race this season. Of course, current F1 cars look nothing like those used
during the sport’s formative years but Behance artist Kursat Kemal Kul has
decided to turn things on their head with a modern interpretation of the W196.
Appropriately dubbed the W196R, the vehicle has been
envisioned as a bold new racing car that features nearly identical proportions
to its spiritual ancestor.
Whereas the W196 didn’t feature a roof, the W196R
has an airy glass cabin that allows the driver to slot right into the center of
the vehicle. Elsewhere, the car has an exceptionally low-slung front end with
small LED headlights and air intakes that help feed the powertrain, displayed
beautifully under a transparent engine cover.
Unfortunately, Formula One cars will never look as
beautiful as they once did because aerodynamics are now the name of the game.
However, if Mercedes-Benz ever decides to release a bold racing concept, we’d
love for it to look a little like this.
