Someone Explain Why Mercedes' Stunning New Concept Is Overshadowed By Its Own Dashboard

Mercedes-Benz has a new Vision Concept, the Iconic, and in typical Mercedes concept fashion, it's pretty wild looking. Getting down to brass tacks, it's not a light and airy neo-futuristic car you would expect to see in a techno-utopia. The Iconic looks like it would be at home in Batman. It's a miles-long blacked-out coupe with a Mercedes grille straight out of the marque's storied history.

It doesn't "need" a grille per se, as it's an electric car. Tech wise, Mercedes says it features a paint job that's capable of acting as a solar panel to charge concept's battery. As the color black absorbs more light, the sinister paint scheme is also functional. It's also supposed to feature Level 4 autonomous driving, meaning it can drive itself within a certain geographic area. It really is a German Batmobile. To quote the press release: "After entering the freeway and activating the Level 4 system, the driver could use the time to relax without having to deal with traffic at all. The car then becomes a luxurious lounge." 

You could relax, yes, or you could try to figure out exactly what Mercedes' interior designers were thinking about when they penned the Vision Iconic's cabin. It features a huge four-spoke steering wheel that looks a lot more nautical than your typical hypermodern steering wheel. It's simultaneously old fashioned and cutting edge. The main draw of the interior is the "dashboard," though that's more of a sculptural piece than a part of a more conventional car you would drive. 

The whole assembly is dubbed the "Zeppelin" by Mercedes, a nod to its oblong shape and the fact it looks like a glass blimp affixed to the front of the interior. Don't misconstrue that comment as an insult. Mercedes has a long history of being involved in Zeppelin manufacturing in the 1920s and 1930s and the artists involved in the Iconic Concept clearly know how to invoke an Art-Deco vibe. It manages to be a cohesive and tasteful interior while also being completely unlike anything that's currently on the consumer market. 

Mercedes definitely took a left-field approach towards the interior, not just stylistically. The use case is "out there" as well. Given its semi-autonomous capabilities, the cabin functions more as a lounge rather than a place where you sit and drive. It's a place to relax on blue velvet bench seats, and admire the mother-of-pearl and polished brash detailing. Given the minimal infotainment system and analog gauge cluster, the Iconic Concept seems to encourage actual conversation with your passenger as opposed to more traditional automotive entertainment options (like watching a movie on the display, taking a video call, or whatever else automakers are foisting upon screens). That said, if you don't have a friend to join you, Mercedes envisages an onboard AI companion to chat with.

Whether or not this way of designing an interior will translate to future Mercedes cars — or future cars in general — is anyone's guess. It's definitely a technology-focused car given its solar panel paint and autonomous driving abilities, but it manages to avoid the gaudiness associated with bleeding-edge technology and instead focuses on more old-fashioned Roaring Twenties gaudiness. 

Given the fact it's a concept car, actual specifications like range, horsepower, or even anything about the drivetrain are entirely unknown. Looking at the effort put into the interior, we really don't care how efficient it is, honestly. If Al Capone was a cyborg from the Blade Runner universe, he would drive this car. It's undoubtedly timeless, as there are few substitutes for a blacked-out coupe from a luxury brand. 

Mercedes-Benz

Through the Iconic Concept, Mercedes gives a glimpse at what the future of personal transportation might look like through sustainable technology and autonomous driving, assuming you're also painfully wealthy (hey, it worked for the Maybach Exelero). For the driver, perhaps the most important part of the equation, Mercedes pulls out all the stops: something somewhat familiar in the Art Deco sensibilities, yet paired with something entirely unprecedented in the shape of a self-driving cocoon that's relatively free of distractions. Flashy, loud, sinister, and immediately noticeable — while also being thoughtful, stylish, and even vaguely subtle — the Vision Iconic Concept may be a rolling oxymoron, but it's one we wish Mercedes would actually give the green light for production.