Mercedes-Benz: Reinvention of the Spectacular C 111

By: | July 19th, 2023

Mercedes-Benz presented the reinvention of the stunning experimental vehicle C 111 and unveiled the supercar Vision One-Eleven, featuring an all-electric powertrain. The vehicle is a step forward in terms of performance of electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and Augmented Reality (AR). The design is inspired by the 1960s and 1970s, while the original vehicle was introduced back in 1969, but never entered production.

The interior design features minimized buttons and white and orange colors. This two-seat vehicle is a complete attention-grabbing masterpiece, featuring old-school digital AR. From a technological aspect, the supercar is equipped with a powerful and efficient axial-flux motor from YASA, a British electric motor specialist, and a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz.

As said by Mercedes-Benz Group’s Chief Design Officer, Gorden Wagener, “Our goal at Mercedes-Benz is not to do styling – our goal is to create icons. To me, that makes the difference between mainstream design and luxury. Design icons like the Type 300 SL and C 111 – both with gullwing doors – are part of our DNA. These legendary vehicles were major inspirations for the iconic design of the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven. This is beauty and the extraordinary united in one vision of the future. Our all-electric vision show car is the modern-day interpretation of the C 111, which was avant-garde at the time.

Moreover, the Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group and Chief Technology Officer, Markus Schäfer, said that “The Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven combines breathtaking design with groundbreaking powertrain technology. Like its historical namesake, it explores new paths for the future of sporting performance. At the heart of the compact and extremely efficient powertrain is the innovative YASA axial-flux high-tech electric motor. It offers a motorsport-like power output from a considerably smaller package. Combined with the liquid-cooled cylindrical-cell battery with Formula-1 inspired cell chemistry, the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven is yet another proof point for the broad performance spectrum encompassed by our four-pronged development strategy for electric drive.

No additional specs or performance facts were revealed, and the vehicle is expected to remain a concept for demonstration purposes. In addition to the supercar, Mercedes-Benz also launched the “Limited Edition 1 of 111”.

Ashton Henning

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