Looking back to 1991, it’s stunning how much of the future the Mercedes-Benz F 100 research vehicle already in the works. Be it operating the phone with buttons on the steering wheel, distance control or the electronic tyre pressure monitoring system as well as many attributes of networked vehicles: what seemed utopian three decades ago forms part of the familiar equipment scope of contemporary passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The research vehicle was presented to the public on 12 January 1991 at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, USA, a specialist exhibition that has been held since back in 1907. Engineers and designers fitted more pioneering technology in the F 100 than in any research vehicle ever before. At the same time, however, the list of technology carriers is as long as it is impressive. It all started with the Patent Motor Car by Carl Benz dating back to 1886, the world’s first ever car and also an experimental vehicle. And the list is far from complete with the 2020 “VISION AVTR” concept vehicle.

Equipment with a future: Visionary research vehicles surprise the public with the results of in-depth, fundamental research. They are a promise to the future. Time will tell after the unveiling whether or not these promises are kept. A particularly large number of the systems in the Mercedes-Benz F 100 have found their way into series production. These concern passive and active safety, convenient operation and the use of available space. The examples demonstrate how closely researchers back then had their eyes on practical applications with their innovations: operating the phone with buttons on the steering wheel – implemented in 1998 in the S-Class (220 model series); gas-discharge headlights – introduced in 1995 as xenon headlamps in the E-Class (210 model series); phone-based voice recognition – presented in 1996 as LINGUATRONIC in the S-Class (140 model series); electronic tyre pressure monitoring system – unveiled in 1999 in the CL luxury coupé (C 215); KEYLESS-GO – a chip card instead of car keys was an optional extra for the S-Class (220 model series) in 1999; rain sensor – standard in 1996 in the CL Coupé (C 140); sandwich floor – design principle in the A-Class (W 168).

Safety and convenience: The F 100 boasts many details that serve both safety and convenience. With 1991’s level of knowledge, engineers and designers showed foresight in terms of how future statutory safety stipulations would affect vehicle technology and automotive design. During the development of the F 100, they not only took into account findings from accident research, but also from social research. One example being that data showed that a passenger car on average carries only 1.2 to 1.7 people in everyday traffic. This figure has hardly changed over the decades. According to a notification by the German Bundestag (national parliament) – dated 2018 – passenger cars on Germany’s roads carry on average 1.46 occupants on all journeys.

The safe centre: Researchers drew clear conclusions from all findings and considerations. As the driver is always on board, this person can rely on the safest spot in the F 100 and, for this reason, is seated in the centre of the passenger cell. In the majority of conceivable crash situations this is the position in the vehicle bearing the lowest risk. Parts of the vehicle floor and roof also opened together with new rotating/swivelling doors. Consequently, the driver can easily get in and out – in each case on the side of the vehicle facing away from traffic. Two passengers sit offset to the left and right behind the driver. The distance to the instrument panel boosts safety. Occupants’ seats in the rear have been offset from the centre and are protected by sturdy rear wheel arches. Getting in and out of the rear seats is also very easy because the vehicle does not feature B-pillars and the space-saving swivelling/sliding doors open widely. A further convenience feature was well ahead of its time: all four doors are merely moved towards the closed position before servomotors then engage them with the lock.

Networked vehicle: Numerous innovations in the F 100, which likewise would not break through until decades later, meant the vehicle was the pioneer of networked vehicles. A central screen behind the steering wheel providing information grouped by priorities within the driver’s field of vision. For travel along open roads, this may be the speed, but might also be warnings indicating imminent hazards. Numerous electronics components, such as distance control (series launch in the 220 model series S-Class as DISTRONIC, 1998), Active Blind Spot Assist (2007) and the reversing camera (2005 in the 221 model series S-Class), provide data and images for a safe journey. Even automatic lane keeping was already possible three decades ago. Further equipment included a mobile fax machine and a permanently installed personal computer. Solar panels cover two square metres of the roof surface and generate up to 100 watts of output for the power supply.

Sight and light: Gas-discharge headlamps, installed for the very first time at Mercedes-Benz, led to excellent illumination of the road, despite compact headlamp dimensions. The technology was introduced in series production as xenon headlamps. Rear lamps consisting of transparent prism rods mean they can be actuated by a central light source. Depending on the functions, they light up in the corresponding colour. When visibility is clear, the rear wiper is inconspicuously concealed under the roof spoiler and it not only cleans the rear window, but also the rear lights, whenever necessary. The front windscreen wiper moves across the entire width of the windscreen and clears it almost entirely. The sensor behind the windscreen automatically activates the windscreen wiper when it rains.

Power transmission: The front-wheel drive is unusual. The first time this concept was implemented in one of the brand’s series-production vehicles was in the A-Class (W 168) in 1997. A host of engine concepts were taken into consideration as the drivetrain of the F 100, including a combustion engine powered by hydrogen. This shows that Mercedes-Benz was already striving towards zero-emissions mobility thirty years ago.

Research and technology: The Mercedes-Benz F 100 established the tradition of a host of the brand’s research vehicles characterised by the letter “F” in their designation. These include the F 200 Imagination (1996), F 300 Life Jet (1997), F 400 Carving (2002), F 500 Mind (2003), F 600 HYGENIUS (2005), F 700 (2007), F 800 Style (2010), F 125! (2011) and F 015 Luxury in Motion (2015). Many other Mercedes-Benz vehicles form part of this research vehicle family. The first in this long line is Carl Benz’s three-wheeled car, registered as a patent in 1886, representing the implementation of a fundamentally new vehicle concept. It was followed by technology carriers and experimental vehicles, concept vehicles and vehicle studies with very different aims. The brand applied all of these to drive automotive technology forward. The most recent representative is the “VISION AVTR” concept vehicle, unveiled in 2020. The name not only indicates an intensive collaboration with the AVATAR film team but is also short for ADVANCED VEHICLE TRANSFORMATION. Consequently, the vehicle embodies a further vision of Mercedes-Benz for the future of mobility.

Since the early 1980’s, Mercedes-Benz has been presenting research vehicles that fascinating to look at but at the same time, Mercedes was pioneering new methods of vehicle safety and power. The range of innovative solutions found in these research vehicles, from the C111 to the F 125!, gives us a glimpse at the foresight that Mercedes-Benz engineers are able to develop.

We’ve compiled a list of the top 15 Research Vehicles over the last 30 years, which one would you consider the most ground-breaking?

Mercedes-Benz C 111:

At the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September 1969 Mercedes-Benz presented the C 111. The world queued up to see this “test lab on wheels” with its wedge-shaped body and upward-opening gullwing doors.  The color, orange metallic, originally described as “rosé wine”, also helped attract attention. Less conspicuous, but no less unusual, were the technical innovations. The body consisted of fibre-glass reinforced plastic and was riveted and bonded to the steel frame-floor unit.

Mercedes-Benz Auto 2000:

In the late 1970s the Federal German Ministry for Research and Technology launched the Auto 2000 project, in which several carmakers participated. Fuel consumption was not to exceed eleven litres per 100 km (21.3 mpg) for a vehicle with a cerb weight of up to 2,150 kilograms – a very ambitious target in those days – and the maximum for vehicles weighing 1,250 to 1,700 kilograms was 9.5 litres/100 km (24.7 mpg).

The Auto 2000, first presented to the public at the 1981 Frankfurt International Motor Show and was meant to accommodate four people.  It had an aerodynamically optimised body with a very low Cd (drag coefficient) of 0.28. As many as three different engine concepts were tested in this vehicle. An automatic cylinder cutoff system was premiered in a 3.8-litre V8 petrol engine. When only little power was required, four of the eight combustion chambers were temporarily shut down – today this is a feature of several large-displacement petrol engines built by Mercedes-Benz. The 3.3-litre diesel engine tested in the Auto 2000 had exemplary accelerating power thanks to its six cylinders and two turbochargers; it offered an excellent range of 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres (about 31.3 mpg) at a speed of 120 km/h.

Mercedes-Benz short-distance vehicle NAFA:

Congested streets, a lack of parking space, and long tailbacks raised new questions in motor vehicle research. Mercedes-Benz answered them in 1981 with a concept study labelled “Nahverkehrsfahrzeug” or NAFA for short – the short-distance vehicle. With an overall length of 2.50 metres and an overall height and width of 1.50 metres, the innovative two-seater contradicted everything the company had been known to stand for to date.

The NAFA study did not fall into oblivion. The insights it produced were incorporated into the design of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, the prototype of which made its debut in 1996. In the smart city coupé, introduced in 1997, the concept of the compact urban car celebrated its coming of age. It has been manufactured in large numbers ever since.

Mercedes-Benz F100:

Daimler-Benz deliberately chose the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 1991 – the first major trade show of the year – to present a very special automobile: the Mercedes-Benz F 100. This research car gave tangible expression to the vision of engineers and market strategists for the automobile of the future. Never before had so many ideas and innovative technologies been realised in a fully operational car.

In the F100, the driver was seated in the middle.  Statistically, a car is occupied by 1.2 to 1.7 persons – driver included. So the driver deserves the safest place, which is the centre position, with its large distances to car body parts. Furthermore, the driver can always get out of the car on the off-traffic side.

With all its qualities, the Mercedes-Benz F 100 was not simply a test mule for the engineers – it represented a new type of automobile. It anticipated the future of mobility, which has partly become reality since the car made its debut in 1991. At the same time, it emphasised the fact that the customer is the focus of technical progress when a research vehicle is designed.

Mercedes-Benz C112:

In Group C, during the 1990 racing season, Mercedes-Benz, in cooperation with the Swiss Sauber team, fielded the C 11. The car proved to be a great success, and the team was crowned world champion at the end of the season. The triumph was an inspiration for the Mercedes-Benz engineers. Looking for a way to test active dynamic handling systems for series-production cars, they came up with the C 112, a high-performance sports car. It was powered by a six-litre V12 engine that generated 300 kW (408 hp) and put 580 Newton metres of torque on the crankshaft. The challenge was to stretch the physical limits while transferring this performance to the road and meeting the highest levels of active safety.

The C 112 was the first vehicle since the C 111 to feature gullwing doors. Ever since the 1950s, they have been a symbol of Mercedes-Benz sports cars. The 300 SL coupé (W 194/198 series from 1952 and 1954 respectively) was the first to have them – a car whose excellent technical qualities made it stand out in its day. The C 112, with its streamlined body, followed suit.

The C 112 was also the first car to afford active suspension labelled Active Body Control (ABC). Each wheel is equipped with a combination of a spring and hydraulic servo cylinder. Sensors detect all the vehicle’s motions – vertical displacement, roll and pitch. To eliminate the unwanted motion, computers evaluate the data and control the active suspension elements accordingly. The result: an unprecedented level of stable roadholding.

Mercedes-Benz Vario Research Car:

The Mercedes-Benz Vario Research Car is really four cars in one – variability was the design focus of the Vario Research Car (VRC) by Mercedes-Benz, a car that attracted great attention at its premiere at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show. Within just a few minutes, the VRC can be transformed into a different car.

For everyday driving, it’s a saloon. For longer journeys, the load capacity of an estate car is available. In the summer, the sun invites you to take an open-top ride in a convertible. And for heavy loads, there’s the pickup with its open cargo space.

It has a one-piece body that consists of a roof, side walls and rear section; the body can be lifted off and exchanged for another variant. All that is needed is a few simple operations that take just 15 minutes. The Vario Research Car was a vision: customers would not themselves own the bodies but would drive up to a rental station. While they drank a coffee, service technicians would exchange the body. A few minutes later, the customer would be on the road again. The driver could decide how long to use a particular body variant, because the rental system would be just as flexible as the car itself.

 

Mercedes-Benz F200 Imagination:

The Mercedes-Benz F 200 Imagination, presented at the 1996 Paris Motor Show, was created to test new ergonomic concepts based on drive-by-wire technology, cockpit design.  It was powered by a Four-stroke spark-ignition engine with 12 cylinders, six litres of displacement, 290 kW (394 hp), offered rear-wheel drive with a five-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission.

Small joysticks in the doors and the centre console for steering and braking – replace the steering wheel. The signals are exclusively transmitted electronically to the relevant components (drive-by-wire). The conventional mechanical control elements used by the driver are now linked to electric and hydraulic actuators, and electronic pulses carry out the desired actions.

Mercedes-Benz F300 Life Jet

How can the feel and cornering dynamics of a motorcycle be combined with the safety and comfort of a car?  This was the question that initiated the design that eventually became known as the F300 Life Jet. Motorcyclists enjoy the freedom offered by their vehicles, they’re able to lean into bends, sense the power of the engine, feel at one with the elements, and experience the unbridled pleasure of the road.  These are all things that the designers and engineers of the F 300 Life Jet strived to convey with their concept. Just as importantly however, it was also designed to offer the same advantages of a car: stability coming from three wheels instead of two. The top can be closed, and seat belts are provided. The motoring experience can be shared with a second person inside the vehicle, both unimpeded by protective clothing, helmet and wind noise. And air conditioning makes for pleasant temperatures.

Mercedes-Benz F400 Carving:

The F400 Carving, which gets its name from the sporty carvers on ski slopes, was debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2001 and was created with the plan to test novel dynamic handling systems.  This led to the most conspicuous feature of the Mercedes F400 Carving, The tilting of its wheels. When cornering, the wheels on the outside of the bend tilt by as much as 20 degrees, which distinctly improves directional stability and roadholding, and reduces the danger of skidding. Electronics have been combined with mechanics to achieve this. Sensors measure the road speed, acceleration, steering lock and yaw of the car, and send control signals to the outer wheels’ hydraulic servo cylinders, causing them to tilt at a precisely defined angle. The kerb-side wheels, like the body, remain in their normal position.

Mercedes-Benz F500 Mind:

Presented at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show, the Mercedes-Benz F500 Mind proved that the future of auto industry will never cease to be exciting. The four-door car, designed as a modern hatchback saloon, served as a research lab on wheels and demonstrated over a dozen technical ideas for enhancing the safety, propulsion and comfort of future Mercedes-Benz passenger cars.

The F500 mind was designed to utilize different propulsion energies. If a great deal of power is required, a V8 diesel engine with 184 kW (250 hp) drives the F 500 Mind – and simultaneously charges the batteries, as the car also features a 50 kW electric motor that works either by itself or in conjunction with the internal combustion engine. An electronic control unit that adapts to the traffic situation and driving style perfectly coordinates the engine and motor.

The electric motor, for instance, powers the car when it starts up, in stop-and-go traffic and in other situations where the internal combustion engine, by virtue of its design principles, does not develop optimum efficiency. Should the driver require higher engine output, the V8 engine cuts in to provide dynamic acceleration. The electric drive’s 300-volt battery, located underneath the passenger compartment, is recharged during braking.  All resulting in fuel savings of up to 20 percent.

Mercedes-Benz Bionic Car:

For the first time, the engineers specifically looked for a role model in nature, one that lends itself to an aerodynamically efficient, safe, comfortable and environmentally compatible automobile – not just in detail features, but also in its overall shape and structure. Their search led them to the boxfish.

This fish, which lives in tropical waters, has excellent hydrodynamic properties, despite its angular, cube-like body. Its shape is aerodynamically ideal. On a model representing a true copy of the boxfish body, the engineers measured a drag coefficient (Cd) as low as 0.06.

Alongside maximum aerodynamic efficiency and a lightweight concept gleaned from nature, the advanced turbodiesel engine with common rail direct injection (103 kW/140 hp) and novel SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) technology contributes significantly to reductions in fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. In the EU driving cycle, the concept car consumes 4.3 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (54.7 mpg) – 20 percent less than a comparable production model. In line with US measuring methodology (FTP 75), the car does some 70 miles per gallon (combined) – 30 percent more than a production car. At a constant speed of 90 km/h (55 mph), the direct injection engine consumes 2.8 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres, corresponding to 84 miles per gallon in the US test cycle.

Mercedes-Benz F600 Hygenius:

The Mercedes-Benz F 600 HYGENIUS continued the series of fascinating and groundbreaking research cars. Powered by an 85 kW (115 hp) zero-emission fuel cell drive, the compact family car consumes the equivalent of just 2.9 litres per 100 kilometres (81 mpg) and has a range of over 400 kilometres on one tank filling of hydrogen.

The extensively reworked fuel cell of the F 600 HYGENIUS is some 40 per cent smaller than before, operates even more efficiently, and is exceptional for its good cold-start ability. The continuous output of the fuel cell drive is 60 kW (82 hp). Energy not required for driving the car is stored in a high-performance lithium-ion battery. The system therefore operates rather like a hybrid drive and selects the source of energy best-suited to the driving situation. The generous amount of energy made available by the fuel cell can also be used for the well-being of the passengers in the F 600^HYGENIUS. The cup holders, for instance, cool or heat beverages with electricity generated by the environment friendly unit. Via a conventional power outlet, electrical appliances can be operated at normal voltage. If required, the fuel cell can also function as a mobile power plant: its electric power output of 66 kW is enough to supply several one-family houses with electricity.

Mercedes-Benz F700:

The Mercedes-Benz F 700 presents the future of the superior touring sedan. It demonstrates innovative approaches and technologies for using resources sparingly, protecting the environment and permitting the driver and passengers to travel in a completely relaxed style.

At the heart of the F 700 is a novel powertrain. DIESOTTO combines the advantages of the low-emission petrol engine with the diesel’s fuel economy. For the first time, the diesel’s principle of (controlled homogeneous) charge compression ignition is incorporated in a petrol engine. Also, thanks to homogeneous combustion at reduced reaction temperatures, nitrogen oxide emissions are minimized. Moreover, the reduction in displacement and the number of cylinders improves the degree of efficiency. The F 700 is powered by a compact four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1.8 litres, which nonetheless delivers the superior performance typical of a luxury-class saloon. A two-stage turbocharger is responsible for the engine’s excellent response and high-torque accelerating power. In addition, on ignition, the hybrid module electric motor assists the internal combustion engine. The maximum engine output is 175 kW (238 hp); the electric motor develops another 15 kW (20 hp), and the system’s maximum torque is as high as 400 Newton metres. Acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds is testament to the dynamism of the F 700, whose top speed is limited to 200 km/h. Despite this outstanding performance, the F 700 has a fuel consumption in the EU driving cycle of just 5.3 litres (44.3 mpg), which corresponds to carbon dioxide emissions of 127 grams – an extremely low level for a car of this size.

Mercedes-Benz F800 Style:

The Mercedes-Benz F 800 Style research vehicle showed us the future of premium automobiles from a new perspective. As a five-seat upper-range sedan combining highly efficient drive technologies, unparalleled safety and convenience features we didn’t even know we needed, the F800 Style became a stylish-sporty interpretation of the new Mercedes-Benz design.  The exterior was complete with LED headlights that offered exciting, distinctive details, a spacious interiorm despite compact outer dimensions and a modern sense of lightness on the inside.

The F 800 Style is suitable for use with a variety of drive system options thanks to its flexible multi drive platform, as the following example with two technically independent variants demonstrates:

• As the Plug-in Hybrid, the F 800 Style offers electric mobility with zero local emissions in urban settings. Over longer distances, a gasoline engine equipped with the latest-generation direct-injection technology is supported by the hybrid module, thereby enabling a high-performance and efficient driving experience.
• The F-CELL variant is equipped with a fuel cell unit that runs on hydrogen for electric driving with zero local emissions. The only emission from electric cars powered by a fuel cell is water vapor.

Mercedes-Benz F125!:

The F 125! research vehicle was designed to anticipate future trends and prepared the way for implementation of an innovative premium concept for large, luxurious automobiles. In the F 125! Mercedes-Benz rigorously followed its vision of emission-free driving with hydrogen power, underlining the potential of H2 as an energy source for the future. While previous Mercedes-Benz research vehicles had “looked ahead” by roughly one vehicle generation – seven to eight years – the F 125! as the latest technological visionary went a whole step further, by more than two generations to the year 2025 and beyond.

The F 125! was created as an innovative four-seater luxury saloon with a powerful, emission-free electric drive system based on the fuel cell technology developed to series production maturity by Mercedes-Benz. This study combined pioneering and highly efficient storage, drive and bodyshell technologies with unique control and display concepts. The research vehicle also presented itself with an expressive design which transfers the classic Mercedes design idiom into the future.

From the very beginning, when Carl Benz invented the world’s first motorcar, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen in 1886, and even today, Mercedes-Benz has maintained a legacy of inventive genius. This can be seen in many if not all of the Mercedes-Benz production models of today. Play the video below for an in-depth look at the journey of the F-Series research vehicles or check out the gallery below and find out what technologies each vehicle provided for the models of today.

Back as 1991, the first car of the “F” series, the F 100, introduced what was at the time revolutionary concepts – concepts like voice control, autonomous intelligent cruise control and distance radar – these are all technologies that are now in series production.

When the Mercedes-Benz F 200 Imagination arrived in 1996, it featured a revolutionary step in design, in addition to Active Body Control (ABC)  advancements that offered increased stability. Additional innovations on the Mercedes F 200 included doors that opened automatically with a magnetic card (the forerunner of today’s Keyless-Go system), side airbags, windowbags (another present-day feature) and the Active Light function that’s also available today.

Then, in 2001, the Mercedes F 400 Carving was designed to significantly improve driving dynamics with the Active Tire Tilt Control (ATTC) system.  It was created by adjusting the camber angle of both the front and rear wheels when cornering or during hard braking.

Hybrid technology was introduced in later models like the Hybrid F 500 Mind.  In addition to taking the first steps in hybrid technology, it also featured innovations such as Night View Assist, a system that operates using infrared headlamps for improved visibility at night. Today this concept is a reality in the E- and S-Class models.

In 2006, the Mercedes-Benz F 600 Hygenius marked the introduction of an environmentally friendly fuel-cell hybrid drive vehicle.

It was followed shortly after in 2007 with the F 700 that featured the revolutionary DIESOTTO engine.  The DIESOTTO engine was made noteworthy by combining the advantages of low-emission combustion engines with the consumption benefits of a diesel engine.

The Mercedes F 800 Style paved the way for new design styling in 2008 with its coupé-like characteristics. It also featured an innovative new multi-drive platform, a new display concept – Cam-Touch-Pad HMI (Human Machine Interface), and the current PRE-SAFE® 360° system which offers extra protection in the event of a rear end collision.

More recently in 2011, we saw the arrival of Mercedes-Benz’s most recent research vehicle, the F 125! It was the world’s introduction to emission-free driving in the luxury segment. The Mercedes flagship vehicle represented a radical reinterpretation of a sports saloon, blending futuristic lightweight materials with experimental operating concepts, innovative drive technology and a breathtaking new design direction. Via: Mercedes-Benz UK