Mercedes-Benz is officially back on a hydrogen kick. Tonight at its pre-Frankfurt auto show press conference, the company rolled out its new F125! fuel cell concept. The name, and the exclamation point we suppose, are a reference to the company's 125th anniversary.
Of course, the car is a look at what's to come, and like most projections into the future it's full of bright lights, swoopy lines and even a pair of gullwing doors. There's plenty of technology, too, like lithium-sulphur batteries, a carbon-fiber and aluminum chassis and interior controls that respond to waves of the hand.
Dieter Zetsche told the crowd of assembled journalists that this vehicle is a serious look into the company's future, not just a one-off design study. Hard to see how this could become the next S-Class, but that's the idea.
bodyblue says:
05:16 PM, 09/12/11
Dieter Zetsche....one of the foulest auto execs ever to crap between a pair of Wing-tips.
93aero says:
10:48 PM, 09/12/11
concepts are loving those damn huge gull wing doors. Why not figure an idea that sweeps the door under the car, like on the Lincoln Mark VIII concept car. Those were an interesting take. But being 125 years old and still playing into gull wings....is now BORING
mercedesfan says:
08:42 AM, 09/13/11
There are only a handful of MB concept cars I've ever actually liked. This isn't one. The proportions are all wrong and the detailing is too ornate. At least it has a hood ornament, though, rather than a gaudy dinner-plate sized badge in the grille.
@bodyblue,
Say what you will, he single-handedly saved MB from the tyrannical clutches of Jurgen Schrempp. In 2005 when he took over as CEO MB quality was in the crapper. He refocused the brand and today their new offerings rival, and in more than one case surpass, Lexus offerings for durability.
I agree the Chrysler debacle was unforgivable, but that was mostly Schrempp's doing. Zetsche did a lot of good. He spearheaded the 300/Charger, SLS/Viper, and JGC/ML projects in his tenure. Chrysler would have probably disappeared completely if it weren't for those projects. His decision to sell the company to Cerberus was bad, but at that point the partnership was destroyed, the damage was done, and the two just needed to go their separate ways. I don't think anyone really knew that Cerberus was going to immediately shutter all projects and start selling off the brand's assets.
Chrysler would be in vastly better shape today had Daimler sold them directly to Fiat, rather than to Cerberus who absolutely crushed them, but Fiat wasn't interested and Chrysler got sold to the only real suitor.
bodyblue says:
11:30 AM, 09/13/11
MBF....the main hurt was put on Chrysler when it was gobbled up and its cash frankly STOLEN out of US banks by MB....one of the driving forces was Zetche....he cost the US and it workforce THOUSANDS of jobs and Billions of Dollars, period. He is a foul and typical German car exec.
different1 says:
01:24 PM, 09/13/11
it will be much nicer if those door wings can flap and the car can fly, then and only then you can call it concept...
every show there is plenty of concept, what the point of doing them, yes we do push the limits and ideas as well but no concept till now is being made for the street, only recently the range rover concept..
so basically, have a designers war,spend millions, make the vehicle, show it once, then hide it for ever...
danwilson1 says:
02:22 PM, 09/13/11
bodyblue: "He is a foul and typical German car exec."
Playing on stereotypes, eh?
Zetsche is one of the good guys. Schrempp was the man behind the Daimler-Chrysler merger "buyout" and sellout, not Zetsche.
actualsize says:
03:54 PM, 09/13/11
Wilfred Brimley seems to have lost a lot of weight. Perhaps he finally kicked his "Diabeetus."