Mercedes-Benz F 700
Mercedes-Benz F 700 Research Car
Posted by Edmunds
Mercedes-Benz has created no fewer than 20 research cars since the Auto 2000 was introduced in 1981, but rarely has it revealed such a surprising glimpse of the future as the Mercedes-Benz F 700 Research Car.
Unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, the high-tech F 700 previews a full range of new technology from Mercedes-Benz, including a green-friendly powertrain, a laser-equipped suspension that looks ahead at road conditions, and even an interactive voice-recognition system that incorporates the best features of a video game.
The big four-door sedan is said to provide solid clues to the sort of features that are likely to appear on the next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class that is due to be introduced in 2012.
Stretched but Not Big
From tip to tail, the Mercedes-Benz F 700 Research Car measures 203.9 inches, making it just a fraction shorter than the current Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan, yet its wheelbase measures an astounding 135.8 inches, some 11.2 inches longer than the current S-Class.
Mercedes-Benz describes the F 700 as "a futuristic interpretation of the classic sedan." But while it is quick to discourage talk that the F 700 holds any real clues to the look of any particular model in its future, it does suggest that certain themes (most notably the new car's unique proportions) are being developed by its design staff for possible inclusion on its next generation of models. The Mercedes-Benz advanced styling studio in Irvine, California, developed the new look, "Aqua Dynamic."
Like so many concept cars, the F 700 appears to be simply a luxurious sedan for four passengers. Yet the research car departs from the conventional four-door layout seen on today's S-Class. Most notably, its right rear door is hinged at the rear, furnishing a wide, unencumbered space for loading a passenger from the curb.
An interior designed by the Mercedes-Benz advanced interior studio in Lake Como, Italy, features the warm overtones of leather upholstery and cork trim. More important, this right rear seat can be reversed, enabling the passenger to partake of a true theater-style audio-visual system for video conferencing or entertainment, with a 20-inch HD monitor, surround sound, and drinks storage in the rear seat's center console.
There's Gasoline in Your Future
The F 700 makes its boldest statement with what lurks under the short hood. This twin-turbo direct-injection 1.8-liter gasoline-fueled inline-4 engine will have much to do with the future model lineup at Mercedes. This engine features Mercedes' new DiesOtto technology, a strategy to combine the low air emissions of a gasoline engine with the fuel economy of a diesel.
Under most conditions, the engine runs like a typical gasoline-fueled engine, with the air-fuel mixture injected into the cylinders and then ignited by a spark plug. Once combustion temperatures have risen to a predetermined level, the DiesOtto switches to diesel mode and the spark plug is deactivated; then the engine's unique crankshaft increases cylinder compression, and the air-fuel mixture ignites spontaneously as in a diesel.
This powertrain is supposed to deliver the smoothness, power and low air emissions of a typical gasoline engine in combination with the flexibility, torque and frugal fuel use of a modern diesel. "Our goal is to make the gasoline-powered car just as economical in consumption as the diesel," says Dr. Thomas Weber, the chief of Mercedes research and development.
\Good Power, Great Mileage
Mercedes-Benz says this small-displacement engine's output of 238 horsepower compares favorably with its existing 3.5-liter V6 gasoline and 3.0-liter V6 diesel engines. A 15-kW (20-hp) electric motor also supplements the engine, launching the car from rest just like a typical hybrid. The total power output of the powertrain is 258 hp, while the torque is rated at 295 pound-feet.
Mercedes-Benz says this new powertrain is capable of accelerating the F 700 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 7.5 seconds, reasonably rapid given the car's oversized dimensions and relatively small engine.
It is in fuel economy and air emissions where the DiesOtto engine really excels. Mercedes-Benz rates the car's fuel economy on the European cycle at an astonishing 53 mpg, an 18-mpg improvement over the current Mercedes S350 sedan. When it comes to CO2 air emissions, the F 700 is rated at 127 g/km (204.4 g/mile), better than a lot of small cars.
Technology Is Everywhere
The F 700 also showcases what Mercedes calls Pre-Scan suspension. Two lasers integrated into the headlights scan the road ahead and then the Pre-Scan control unit determines an appropriate strategy for the hydraulically operated suspension based on speed and road conditions.
The headlights feature two linear arrays of LEDs to provide supplemental driving lights, while a third row functions as daytime running lights.
Mercedes also has worked hard to simplify its notoriously complex arrangement of interior controls. A key contribution is a new voice-activation strategy, in which the voice of a young woman enters into a dialogue with the driver, posing questions that the driver answers.
Coming Soon
Strictly speaking, the Mercedes-Benz F 700 Research Car offers some technologies that are being simultaneously featured elsewhere (for example, DiesOtto resembles the HCCI technology recently announced by General Motors), while the Lexus LS 400h is a somewhat similar vehicle concept that's already in full-scale production.
Yet the F 700 is the boldest statement of both technology and style that Mercedes-Benz has made in years, and it represents a significant look into a future that's far closer than we realize. — Andreas Stahl, Contributor
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Print | posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 3:59 PM