Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion has an absurd name, remarkable vision

Tue, Jan 13 2015

We often hear about cars that don't look good in pictures. "You need to see it in person," people say. Well, the Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion, which the company brought to Detroit after debuting it at CES, is just such a vehicle. Besides having a very silly name and looking, according to one Autoblog editor, like a suppository, this is a genuinely striking piece of design when viewed in the metal.

The shape is aerodynamic in the extreme, but still features subtle details and styling cues. Whether that be the small dorsal ridge on the roof, the simply huge wheels and the Cylon-like, wraparound taillights, despite a fairly uniform shape, there's still a lot to see on the F 015.

That's doubly true in the cabin, which is typically luxurious, while also doubling as a rolling lounge withs eating for four. Accessible via barn doors that open up to 90 degrees, the F 015's cabin features fine woods and leathers, as well as seats that swivel around to face each other. Screens abound (there are six in total), and gesture-and-touch-based controls are the order of the day, producing what Mercedes calls a "digital arena."

As an autonomous vehicle, MB doesn't offer a lot of technical information on propulsion or guidance systems, simply saying that the pod-like concept could accommodate an electric motor and fuel cell.

Take a look at our gallery of live images Mercedes' sci-fi vision, and if there's an auto show coming to your neck of the woods, get out and see this strange and impressive car.

By Brandon Turkus