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June 14, 2005
Mercedes Bionic Concept Car
WASHINGTON, DC -- It’s gotten harder to impress the public with so-called concept cars. Now that we have come to take DVD players, navigation systems and even hybrid technology for granted, most future vehicles are little more than an exercise in flamboyant design.
But now that Mercedes-Benz has unveiled their "bionic" diesel concept car -- featuring a radical leap in inspiration, design, construction and emissions technology -- there’s renewed hope once again for concept cars.
[Click here to play a video depicting the design process.]
Even the design inspiration -- turning to nature to find an aerodynamic shape -- features a counterintuitive leap. Dieter Gurtler, a Mercedes engineer, explained that when designers look to nature for structural inspiration, fast swimmers such as dolphins, sharks and penguins first come to mind.
Due to material limitations -- and the interior volume requirements of automobiles -- these initial models prove untenable Gurtler said, so Mercedes turned to the seemingly unlikely boxfish.
"Looking at the cross-section of the boxfish, there’s no other creature as close to a car," Gurtler said. The boxfish has a natural drag coefficient of 0.04, and after working with models that achieved 0.095, the final car has a Cd of 0.19 -- about 65% better than a production compact car.
[Click here to check out a neat-o Mercedes Bionic Car Screensaver -- it's free!]
The concept car’s shape isn’t the only thing that makes it bionic, or derived from nature, according to Gurtler. The boxfish, as well as other animals, is comprised of a mix of extremely durable and flexible parts that allow the organism to thrive in their environments.
Again working with natural principles and computer modeling, Mercedes sought to reduce the weight of the frame using a method known as Soft Kill Option [SKO] reducing material mass and strength in areas where stress is light on a vehicle, or in some cases "killing" the component altogether.
This resulted in a vehicle that weighs 1,100 kilograms, about 2,400 pounds, which is about half the weight of a comparable minivan or crossover vehicle.
Thanks to the aerodynamic design and SKO construction, the Mercedes bionic concept has achieved an average of 70 miles per gallon fuel efficiency, topping out at 84 mpg on a straight highway shot.
The excellent fuel economy is also due in large part to the 4-cylinder, 2-liter diesel that engine that delivers 140 horsepower. The engine uses DaimlerChrysler’s Selective Catalytic Reduction [SCR] technology to showcase a dramatic 80% reduction in NOx emissions.
According to Green Car Congress, "this aftertreatment sprays an aqueous urea solution into the exhaust system in precisely metered quantities, depending on the engine operating status." The reaction with the urea converts the nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and water, and is supplied through a separate reservoir and offers enough capacity to last a typical service interval.
Driving the vehicle at Washington, D.C.’s RFK Stadium, there was no discernable noise or combustion clatter from the diesel engine. None. While many recently introduced diesels sport dramatically quieter diesel plants, the Mercedes boxfish car was remarkable for failing to give away its diesel heart at all.
Beyond the overarching leaps in technology, the Mercedes bionic car includes some wonderful design features -- such as the sweeping overhead windshield that gives the impression of traveling in an underwater minisub -- that make this vehicle a true conceptual standout.
Starting at the hood and coming almost to the passengers’ heads, the glass serves the dual purpose of both windshield and sunroof, creating a closer connection between the occupants and the outside world.
Some of the design elements -- such as exterior, flush mounted cameras that feed interior monitors in lieu of mirrors -- serve double duty in terms of aerodynamics and aesthetics.
The rear wheel wells are covered with a translucent cover, and all four wheels themselves have wind-reducing masks affixed to them.
Not having external mirrors on the doors and covering the wheels all help preserve the vehicle’s low drag coefficient. Once you experience the camera and monitor system on an actual test drive, it’s evident they will soon replace traditional side and rear-view mirrors.
As with all concept cars, some elements will likely never see production. It’s hard to imagine the two-tone lime and pistachio suede interior ever creating huge consumer demand.
Now that the car has been revealed to the public, there is still work to be done, Gurtler said. "I’m very proud of the response to the product -- it’s absolutely necessary to take the response and put it into the development of the vehicle."
As for the lack of cupholders in the prototype, Gurtler laughed. "That’s the next project."
Posted by Frank at June 14, 2005 12:37 PM | Filed under Auto News
| Diesel
| Mercedes-Benz