German automotive powerhouse Mercedes-Benz is best known for their premium and performance cars, but through their history, they've dabbled in everything from the supermini segment to all-out supercars. It seems like the minds at Mercedes are always thinking up something new and revolutionary, at least judging by the concepts they're putting out.
For decades now, the brand has produced machines that push the boundaries, combining traditional designs with new ones to make some of the most interesting concept vehicles of any manufacturer. Some of their concept cars are weird, and a few are a bit ugly. Most of them though are just downright awesome. Let's take a look through the brand's back catalog to uncover some of their most unique and cool concept models.
8 C111-II
Rotary engines are a rare and collectible feature in cars today, associated mostly with Japanese manufacturer Mazda. In 1970, Mercedes-Benz considered putting their own rotary engine into production but first installed it into this, the C111-II.
The design of the car took the famous gullwing doors of the 300SL and added them to a more contemporary '70s wedge shape. It's a seriously good-looking piece of machinery for the era, but that rotary engine was the reason the car never got produced. After testing, the company decided the unit didn't meet its durability and emissions requirements and the project was shelved.
7 BIOME
As its name might suggest, this concept is designed to be at one with its environment, although more literally so than most other concepts. The car was supposed to be grown using a revolutionary material called BioFibre, essentially a natural alternative to plastic or metal.
Certain parts of the car would house seeds which would literally allow the company to grow a car like it would a plant. Of course, such technology is likely decades away from ever becoming a reality, and so for now, the BIOME is nothing more than a cool eco-friendly idea.
6 F700
This unusually-proportioned car looks like a deformed S Class, and weirdly enough it was sort of designed to be. The concept was presented at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show and used an engine that combined both diesel power and gasoline.
The car was fully functional, and after being displayed on the show circuit was gifted to the president of the UAE. The car also sported a then-revolutionary feature called Pre-Scan Suspension, which was eventually developed into the Magic Body Control system introduced in the 2013 S Class.
5 Vision AVTR
Inspired by the film Avatar, the AVTR concept was developed as a vision of the cars Mercedes foresee in the distant future. It certainly looks the part, with its otherworldly wheels and strange vented back.
The car is fully electric, in keeping with the AVTR's futuristic vision. Its unique wheel setup means it can also drive sideways at an angle of 30 degrees, although exactly how that would ever be useful in real-life remains a mystery.
4 AMG Vision Gran Turismo
Legendary racing series Gran Turismo has made a name for itself in recent years for persuading car companies to dream up concepts specifically for its games. This Mercedes concept was developed for Gran Turismo 6 and was originally unveiled in 2013.
The inspiration behind the car is apparently a big cat, with the body shape inspired by the 300SL. It uses an AMG Biturbo V8 to produce 577 hp, and the exhaust note was specially composed by AMG's in-house sound specialists. Who knew a car company actually had designers specifically for its sound? Well, apparently AMG does.
3 F300 LifeJet
This one-eyed creation sits firmly in the weird camp of Mercedes' concepts. It was designed as a solution to mobility in tight urban areas, along a similar vein to Japan's Kei car class. Unfortunately, the LifeJet had neither the cutesy charm of a Kei car nor its practicality either.
The LifeJet could fit two people inside, and almost nothing else. It also rolled into corners like a bike, which would make for a pretty horrible driving experience and be a nightmare for anyone who gets car sick. Needless to say, the concept was never seriously considered for production.
2 F-Cell Roadster
What happens when someone takes the front end of an F1 car, adds some wheels straight off an 1880s motor carriage, and sticks in a tiny electric motor? The answer is this, the Mercedes-Benz F-Cell Roadster. It's possibly one of the weirdest German cars ever made, and it was built to commemorate the first Benz ever produced in 1886.
The electric motor is powered by a fuel cell and makes a puny 1.63 hp. The car took on the Bertha Benz Memorial Route in 2009, a route that marks the tracks of the first long-distance journey taken by automobile in 1888.
1 Vision EQ Silver Arrow
Another of Merc's concepts that pay homage to the racing greats of old, the EQ Silver Arrow is designed to invoke the spirit of the W125 Silver Arrow of 1937. The car is all-electric, and there's only room for one person.
Design-wise it's possibly the most head-turning car produced in the 2010s, even more so given that a fully-functional prototype was unveiled at Monterey Car Week in 2018. If, as Mercedes claims, this is a vision into the future of the brand, then what lies ahead may be even more exciting than the cars that have already been unveiled.