What's all this about?
This is a Mercedes concept car that can change its shape while it is moving.
You're kidding! Really?!
Yes, look at the pictures. You can't fail to have noticed the longer rear end in the action shots.
What's the purpose of this physical show-boating?
It improves the car's aerodynamics. Debuting at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), the Mercedes Concept Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile (er... IAA; see what Stuttgart has done there?) can run in two 'modes': Design, and Aerodynamic. The latter is accessed automatically once beyond 50mph (or at the press of a button) and it drops the car's coefficient of drag (Cd figure) to just 0.19.
And all it takes are some moving body parts?
Yup. Its teardrop shape is good for cutting through the air anyway, but in Aerodynamic Mode the eight-piece rear section slides out to lengthen the car by 390mm, flaps in the front bumper shift 25mm forwards and 20mm back to improve airflow around the nose and wheel arches and the louvered grille moves 60mm to the benefit of underbody aero. Even the wheels change shape, dammit, the Active Rims starting off with a 55mm dish and making themselves flat at speed.
Is the interior all wild and funky?
Not as mad as you might imagine. In fact, Mercedes says it could be what the cabin of a business saloon might look like in the future, so we might well be glancing at forthcoming S-Class interior architecture here. The 'two-spoke' (Stuttgart's words, not ours...) steering wheel features Optical Finger Navigation buttons in the upper arms that need no physical contact for them to scroll through the car's menus.
Can I guess that the Concept IAA is a hybrid?
Of course it is. A 279hp petrol-electric plug-in drivetrain allows it a 155mph top speed and a theoretical 41-mile fully electric range in Aerodynamic Mode, where it also emits just 28g/km CO2. In Design Mode, that range drops to 39 miles and the emissions increase to 31g/km, although fuel economy is not quoted by Mercedes.
So is this Mercedes' star for Frankfurt IAA?
Indeed, although there's a lot of striking metal on the Mercedes stand, under the banner of the 'Dream Cars Collection' - including models such as the updated Mercedes-AMG A 45, the all-new S-Class Cabriolet, the latest C-Class Coupé and the GLC SUV, among much, much more.
Matt Robinson - 14 Sep 2015