Going Forward - 1993 Mercedes Coupe Concept & 1996 F200 Concept

Coupe Concept

Mercedes decided to start working on a new generation of their models, starting of with this one that would become the CLK. The headlamps on it became both iconic and very controversial, and at the Geneva show in 1993 everyone seemed to like this study. Mercedes then decided to make the final product look identical to the study. And the first car with the new design language was the E class that arrived in 1995, where you could clearly see that it had taken inspiration from this one. The CLK (W208) arrived in 1997 and used the exact same design as this study, Mercedes wanted to see if a car like this would appeal to the public. It would rival the upcoming BMW E46 Coupe.

This concept also had a unique glass roof that was going down to the tailgate, however that did not stop it from having a functional interior and drivetrain. The interior was two-tone leather with wood inlays, the seats had great and comfortable support for any driving condition.

The engine was a 5.0L V8 producing 320 horsepower and 470 nm, and was a preview of the CLK55 AMG production model engine.

For the interior, a center console running all the way through from the dashboard to the parcel shelf was one of the key design elements that would be used in future Mercedes models. The front seats with their asymmetrical head restraint mounting were known as “Ergo Wing” seats, and had an elaborate inner structure which belied their ethereal appearance. And they were just as comfortable as they looked.

The CLK was launched in 1998, and introduced a new type of car for Mercedes-Benz. The W208 generation used some parts from the W210 E-Class, though, it had a specification level higher than the E-Class as well. But it was based on the W202 C-Class platform. It was first launched with two variants being the CLK 200 which produced 134 horsepower from its naturally aspirated four-pot, and the CLK 230 Kompressor producing 194 horsepower from its supercharged four-pot.

The CLK55 AMG is powered by a hand-assembled 5.4-liter V8 engine (Coupe Concept had the concept for that engine). It features a super-stiff forged billet steel crankshaft, weight-matched conrods and pistons, lightweight AMG-specific chain-driven single overhead camshafts (SOHC) with one cam per cylinder bank with three valves per cylinder, as well as 8 coil packs and 16 spark plugs. The bore and stroke are 97 x 92. The intake manifold with tuned runners helps the engine make bigger torque and horsepower outputs by taking advantage of two resonant frequencies to increase performance. The compression ratio is 10.5:1 meaning the engine could allow aftermarket forced induction. It produces
even more power than the one found in the Coupe Concept, 342 horsepower and 510 Newton metres of torque.

F200 Imagination Concept

It was first seen at the 1996 Paris Motorshow. Featured unique sidesticks without electronic assistance instead of a steering wheel, and even gullwing doors. Where until now exclusively mechanical elements have existed which are directly activated by pulses of force emanating from the driver, these are linked with electric and hydraulic actuators that are based on electronic pulses. If the driver pushes the sidestick forward, the F 200 car accelerates. If the driver moves the lever to the right or left, the car will turn to the right or left. If it’s pulled back, the car brakes. The driver can switch the system to the front seat passenger and his sidesticks. It also features drive-by-wire technology which is a technical solution for entailing consequences, If there is no more steering wheel and no more pedals, the passengers have more space resulting in more comfort. It also serves safety since the cockpit and the footwell can be designed completely different.

It has advanced driving dynamics control as well, where the electronics recognize the driver’s commands as requests for a certain driving state and quickly respond with the commands that are the safest for the driver. The main computer is based on the information of various sensors which informs it about the speed, wheel & engine rpm, road condition and even body motions. With information like this, the computer decides how sharply the wheels should be angled during cornering or what engine speed is appropriate for driving on a wet road for example. Considering this was 21 years ago, it is still impressive. It also uses Active Body Control, that is based on dangerous situations where the electronics will keep the car safely on course through lightning-fast intervention in steering, braking, as well as engine or transmission management and the whole chassis/suspension. The driver can still use the technical capabilities of the car without transgressing the physical limits, which is a life saving advantage for safety. The electronically controlled automatic rear spoiler system of the F 200 Imagination also helps making the car stay on the road. Like the SLR Mclaren, it goes up when it detects hard braking.

The F 200 Imagination had alot of innovative technology for the time. Even the headlights, which featured variable light distribution and Six individual reflectors in each module, each with a separate bulb are switched on and off depending on situation and speed in order to provide optimal light for driving at all times without blinding other road users. During cornering, the light follows the wheel angle set by the driver, enhancing safety for very dark night-time driving. At high speeds on superhighways, an additional spot reflector is engaged to better illuminate the roadway far ahead. It has a very compact taillight unit as well, which has nine separate functions. And instead of using normal rearview mirrors, it has a video system that includes five permanently installed mini surround cameras. Four of them are discreetly concealed in the roof frame struts on each side of the car, they constantly have an eye on the areas next to and behind the F 200. The fifth camera is in the rear bumper and automatically switches on when the vehicle backs up. The images appear on various monitors in the vehicle interior where the conventional mirrors otherwise would be located.

The F200 was also a study for demonstrating a futuristic sports Coupe, and the CL (W215) which debuted in 1999 had some design features borrow from it. The F 200 Imagination has a transparent roof to flood the interior with light, which is identical to the Coupe Concept, as well as the the electro-transparent glass that can be darkened at the push of a button to avoid excessive heating of the interior due to strong insulation. The glass has an intermediate layer, a liquid crystal film made of electrically conductive plastic. Electric current causes its crystals to array themselves so that the glass is transparent. This would be an Option on the Maybach 62.

The powertrain was a 6.0L V12 engine mated to a 5-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission, with the power sent to the rear wheels.

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