The Mercedes-Benz F800 Style was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show this week. As a research design study, the vehicle could be pivotal for fans of the German brand. The car could be a preview of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS Class.
Engineers designed the car to be able to use two different powertrains, including a plug-in hybrid and a fuel cell. As a plug-in, the car uses a 220 kW V6 petrol engine mated to a 81 kW motor for a combined output of 301 kW. The car is capable of running as an all-electric up to 120 km/h, or to 249 km/h when using the engine. A zero to 100 km/h sprint takes just 4.7 seconds. Impressive figures, but perhaps the most astonishing feature of this powerplant is the economy it deliveres; less than 2,9 litres/100 km according to Mercedes. This setup has already been earmarked for use in the next-generation S-Class.
If built with a fuel cell, the concept’s electric motor would be rated at 101 kW, producing up to 290 N.m of torque. Hydrogen in the four tanks reacts with an onboard oxygen supply to create an electrical current sent to the lithium-ion battery. Mercedes was not clear about what the vehicle’s range would be.
The car features a flowing, modern design that uses modern LED lighting with an interesting front-end, and a stubbed rear, some 177 mm shorter than the current CLS. According to Mercedes-Benz’s head of design, Gordon Wagener “the exciting coupe-like roof line, and in general the vehicle’s balanced proportions, lend it a stylish sporty look that reinterprets the Mercedes-Benz design idiom and emphasizes the sculptural character of the F800 Style. The result is a harmonious blend of innovative form and function, which conveys a sense of great styling and authority”.
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