Remember the Mercedes-Benz C111? We’re guessing most folks won’t. The radical concept was a test bed for the German automaker in the 1970s. It has now been reimagined for the new age in the form of the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven.

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“Our goal at Mercedes-Benz is not to do styling – our goal is to create icons. To me, that makes the difference between mainstream design and luxury. Design icons like the Type 300 SL and C111 – both with gullwing doors – are part of our DNA. These legendary vehicles were major inspirations for the iconic design of the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven. Our all-electric vision show car is the modern-day interpretation of the C 111, which was avant-garde at the time.” Gorden Wagener, chief design officer, Mercedes-Benz Group AG

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Looking Back

The Mercedes-Benz C111 was created as a laboratory on wheels for the development of, among other things, the Wankel engine. The supersports car was introduced over 50 years ago at the 40th Geneva Motor Show in March 1970. 

At just 1 120 mm high, the sleek body covered in eye-catching paint and with gullwing doors the C111-II cut a futuristic shape in 1970. Interestingly, the C111 was the world’s first vehicle that had been completely designed on a computer.

Click here to read more about the groundbreaking rolling laboratory.

Looking Forward

The Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven is inspired by the tradition of the legendary C111. Those early prototypes were created, in part, for testing polymer-based bodyshells. The extremely aerodynamic mid-engine sportscars are considered design icons of their era.

The new car takes many cues from its older counterpart. Included among these are the twin front lamps, gullwing doors and low overall height. The new car is only 50 mm higher than the C111. Not to forget the Vision One-Eleven’s silver, orange, and white colour scheme.

Electric Power

YASA axial-flux electric motors power the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven. These power-dense units allow designers more freedom in creating a car’s shape as the smaller units are easier to place. There is now word as to how many motors the One-Eleven uses, or what the peak power output is.

New Approach

The steering wheel is the only complex aspect of the interior. The leather-clad item is fitted with various functional controls. A compact touchscreen with high-resolution display mounted to the side of the steering wheel and angled towards the driver.

The Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven has the first sportscar interior with a lounge concept. In race mode the backrests are upright and there is a compact driver-oriented touchscreen, creating a minimalist driving machine. Conversely, in lounge mode, the seats are fully integrated into the interior sculpture, which merges sills, centre tunnel and luggage compartment into a single unit.