The Mercedes-Benz F200 Imagination is a concept study shown at the 1996 Paris Motor Show. It was built to demonstrate new ideas in control, design and comfort, and it previewed the CL-Class coupé of 1999.
Mercedes-Benz F200 at a glance
| Shown | 1996 Paris Motor Show |
|---|---|
| Type | two-door coupé concept |
| Design | Mercedes Advanced Design, Christopher Rhoades and Harald Leschke |
| Built by | Stola, Italy |
| Notable feature | sidesticks instead of a steering wheel |
| Suspension | Active Body Control |
| Roof | electro-transparent panoramic glass |
| Mirrors | video cameras |
| Doors | dihedral doors opened by magnetic card |
| Previewed | the CL-Class coupé of 1999 |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz F200.
History of the Mercedes-Benz F200
The F200 was unveiled in Paris in 1996, with exterior design by Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design attributed mainly to Christopher Rhoades and Harald Leschke. The car was built by the Italian coachbuilder Stola and was reportedly fully functional. Its shape was based in part on the then upcoming S-Class and it previewed the CL-Class coupé that appeared in 1999. The interior took inspiration from the PlayStation game console and from the cabin of an Airbus.
The most visible idea was the sidestick: a joystick in place of the steering wheel and pedals, with drive-by-wire control that could be switched between the driver and the passenger. The car also had an electro-transparent panoramic glass roof, video cameras instead of rear-view mirrors, a window airbag, a forward-looking dynamic handling system, variable light distribution for the headlamps, voice recognition for mobile phones and doors and a boot lid that opened with a magnetic card.
Many of its features reached production: the panoramic roof appeared on the Maybach 62 of 2002, the window airbag and LINGUATRONIC voice control on Mercedes-Benz models, Active Body Control on the CL-Class in 1999 and bi-xenon headlights with Active Light Function on the E-Class of 2003. In the early 2000s the F200 became an internet curiosity, as pictures of it were forwarded by e-mail as the supposed new Mercedes “SCL600”.
Design and features
- Sidesticks: joystick control for driver or passenger, without a steering wheel.
- Active Body Control: fully active suspension, in production from 1999.
- Camera mirrors: video screens in place of door mirrors.
- Glass roof: electro-transparent panoramic glazing, later used by Maybach.
Mercedes-Benz F200 versions
- F200 Imagination (1996): the only car built.
The F200 previewed the CL-Class and its suspension went into production there. Other research cars include the F125. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Video: Mercedes-Benz research vehicles
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz F200, English Wikipedia: design, features, production spin-offs
