Mercedes F700 Concept Luxury Sedan @ Frankfurt Auto Show

[7saen]

Mercedes F700 - preview of the 2012 S-Class

I've read something like that few weeks ago in the Autozeitung. They had this impression of the next S-class published before the F700 was shown.
Notice the similarities. Seems like they had a sneak peak of the car before it was released.

 

[SDNR]

While officials are quick to downplay the relevance of the new four-door’s styling, Mercedes sources suggest that various themes explored within its body are likely to be developed further before being committed to production. These include a bold front-end treatment that could preface the look of its future lineup, as well as individual elements such as prominent wheel arches and flowing C-pillars.

Well, we are already seeing these styling elements in current models -- they are exaggerated on this concept of course, but it is a natural progression of several styling aspects found on current Daimler vehicles. There is no doubt that Chrysler has been a major influence on Mercedes' current design orientation -- I am still not in love with it.

 

[vabboud]

put it this way Rob the F700 has a passing PT cruiser look to it

 

[SDNR]

put it this way Rob the F700 has a passing PT cruiser look to it

He he


....pretty

 

[Merc1]

BEST CONCEPT: MERCEDES-BENZ F700

Whether or not your stylistic sensibilities agree that this California-designed show car is the direction Mercedes-Benz should take with its next S-Class is not the issue. (Let us hope it is not.) What you should look at is the technology in this übersedan. It has a state-of-the-art engine and suspension that are enough by themselves to keep Mercedes near the top in the fight for ultraluxury dominance. The engine is a gasoline-powered, variable-compression, twin-turbo, 1.8- liter four that the company calls DiesOtto. It can switch between spark and compression ignition, depending on demands placed on it. As remarkable as that technology might be (expect others to have similar systems shortly), the roadscanning- and-adjusting suspension might be the most newsworthy. Infrared beams dart ahead of the car to “read” road conditions, and computers adjust its suspension to expect the worst or the best. Imagine what that might mean for both comfort and safety. So many other slicktech tricks in the F700 (This Week, Sept. 17) undoubtedly will make it to the next-gen S-Class that this was an easy choice as Best Concept .

Best of Frankfurt - AutoWeek

M

 

[SDNR]

^^Great, and no complaints about the technology.

But as they said, lets hope this is not where the S class is going stylistically speaking.....or Mercedes may have to elucidate its logo:

"Like No Other ...........and you should be grateful for that!"

 

[Merc1]

Well come on Rob we both know that this car only give certain styling cues, no F Concept car has ever turned up whole in production (thank god). Now the tech will be on the next generation this or that for sure.

M

 

[SDNR]

^^Amazing technology. At least Mercedes is keeping up that tradition.

 

[Imhotep Evil]

Design wise it's got nothing on the BMW CS concept.

 

[bum-man]

Design wise it's got nothing on the BMW CS concept.

Ya the F700 is more original.

 

[siko]

Mercedes-Benz F 700 Reasearch Car: In Depth

• Page 1: At a Glance
• Page 2: Design - Exterior
• Page 3: Design - Interior
• Page 4: Technology I
• Page 5: Technology II
• Page 6: Control and display concept
• Page 7: Research car I
• Page 8: Research car II

 

[bmer]

Bumping an old thread but I had to post this since I just noticed an interesting similarity between the F700 and Vel Satis Concept (1998).
I think these two concepts are similar in the way how they mix round shapes and sharp edges with their design (and how they both are able to look butt-ugly ).

 

[SDNR]

Good spotting bmer. They do appear to have some vague similarities. I think the thing is all the design studios are constantly looking at eachother's work -- not really copying, but picking up on general styling trends.

 

[Wolfgang]

The F 700 - The Research Vehicle With DIESOTTO Powertrain

In 2007, Mercedes-Benz presented the F 700 research vehicle at the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt. The aim of the research vehicle was to combine outstanding driving comfort with high environmental friendliness and good driving performance at unusually low consumption. The powertrain was a 4-cylinder DIESOTTO engine with 1.8 liters displacement and 238 hp - combined with a hybrid module with 20 hp.

The Mercedes-Benz F 700 with a length of 5.18 m showed the future of the sovereign touring limousine in 2007. It shows innovative ways and technologies that not only save resources and the environment, but also enable drivers and passengers to travel comfortably and relaxed. The core of the F 700 is the DIESOTTO - a new kind of powertrain, combining the advantages of the low-emission spark-ignition engine with the consumption advantages of the diesel engine.

The future oriented DIESOTTO-powertrain with its 1.8-l displacement, 4-cylinder spark-ignition combines the performance of a gasoline engine and the high torque and fuel economy of a state-of-the-art diesel together with extremely clean emissions. Additionally, CO2 emissions of a mere 127 grams per kilometer correspond to consumption of only 5.3 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers (44.3 mpg), extremely low for a vehicle of this class. The new technology package includes features such as direct gasoline injection, turbocharging and a variable compression. At the core of this innovation lies the controlled auto ignition, a highly efficient combustion process similar to that of a diesel. The DIESOTTO can be operated using conventional gasoline fuel.

Suspension with anticipatory intelligence

The research car was also taking a major step ahead where its suspension engineering is concerned. With its active PRE-SCAN suspension, the car not only reacts highly sensitively to uneven patches of road surface but also acts in an anticipatory manner. PRE-SCAN uses two laser sensors in the headlamps as “eyes” which produce a precise picture of the condition of the road. On this basis, the control unit computes the parameters for the settings of the active suspension in order to provide the highest level of comfort – it is not without reason that the engineers refer to the “ flying carpet”.

The “eyes” of the F 700 are integrated into the headlamps. With two laser scanners the active PRE-SCAN suspension scans the roadway in front of the car. The hydraulically controlled active suspension proactively compensates for detected hindrances, enabling entirely new comfort characteristics.

The eyes of the F 700

The headlamps of the F 700 are a futuristic version of the brand’s characteristic four-eye face. Two vertical rows of LED line arrays with lenses mounted in front of them serve as driving lights. A third vertical row of individual high-performance LEDs is used as daytime driving lights. Together with the all-round contour illumination, the lights give the F 700 an unmistakable appearance also at night.

Even the driver’s door “watches” its environment closely. A highly compact laser scanner is accommodated in the base of the exterior mirror on this PRE-SCAN door, which checks the door-opening range for obstacles. If the door threatens to be banged against an obstacle, it is locked in position by a controllable hydraulic cylinder.

Light and elegant interior

The generously large and flexible interior is not only made visible from the outside by the long wheelbase. The impression of generous space is also visually enhanced by two large glazed roof sections. Thanks to the use of natural materials such as leather and cork and a harmonious color scheme with shades of brown and beige, the interior has a light and elegant appeal and expresses high-grade quality.

The rear door on the right-hand side (near side) is hinged at the rear. This “reversed” direction of movement facilitates access to the REVERSE seat – another innovation in the F 700. The REVERSE seat is the key element of a novel seating concept and a newly developed design idea for the rear seat on the right-hand side (near side). It replaces the conventional, fixed arrangement of seats in a saloon and permits individual seating and rest positions both in the direction of travel and facing away from the direction of travel.

Relax position and cinematic atmosphere

The F 700 accommodates four people in the classic arrangement, with all of them facing in the direction of travel. If the front passenger’s seat is unoccupied, the rear seat on the right-hand side (near side) can be adjusted to a relax position at the push of a button. In addition, the REVERSE seat can be positioned so that the occupant faces away from the direction of travel – to talk to his or her neighbour seated opposite, to work, to rest or to enjoy audiovisual entertainment. A monitor with a screen size of 51 centimetres, 3D technology and surround sound system creates a cinematic atmosphere.

More convenient and easier operation

For the F 700 the Mercedes-Benz engineers have developed an entirely new display concept and further developed the proven COMAND control concept, incorporating a whole range of pioneering innovations. These include:

• SERVO-HMI, which reduces eye fatigue by increasing the viewing distance.
• Speech recognition via a virtual operating assistant (AVATAR) to facilitate the control of complex functions using spoken dialogue.
• Reduced control functions through increased automation.
• Rotary/pushbutton controller with added slide function.
• Entertainment system with Roadview and three-dimensional cinema.

As a contribution to stress-relieving safety the research engineers have developed the SERVO-HMI for the F 700. The driving and vehicle information which it displays appears at the bottom edge of the windshield but, optically, appears a bit further away. When viewing the displays the eyes no longer have to shift from far to near vision to the extent usually required today, and therefore are subject to much less strain. Navigation, communication/telephone and audio/entertainment are operated by a rotary/pushbutton controller on the centre console.

The exceptional efficiency of the overall concept of the F 700 is evident at first sight: its design is distinguished by soft, flowing forms. “Aqua Dynamic” is the name the designers have given to this design idiom with which they translated the flow dynamics of a fish into the design. The design provides an immediate indication that much room has been given to the passengers.

“Aqua Dynamic” – a new design language

The design of the F 700 is characterised by soft, flowing lines. The designers refer to “Aqua Dynamic” when talking about this form language which they used to translate the flow dynamics of fish into the design of a special automobile. What’ s more, the design signals instantly that occupants have particularly generous space at their disposal. With its exterior length of 5.18 metres, the F 700 is slightly shorter than the long-wheelbase version of the S-Class from the W 221 series, but with a wheelbase length of 3.45 metres, the research car exceeds the production model by as much as 28.5 centimetres. The side view of the F 700 is dominated by the dynamically arching roof contour and shoulder line.

AVATAR on Board

For more complex input functions, innovative support is provided by an individual assistant known as AVATAR in computer language. In the F 700, the AVATAR comes in the guise of a young woman. She engages in a dialogue with the driver, asking for the destination in the navigation menu, for instance, and confirming the voice input. Her functions are similar in selecting a number from the telephone directory or in tuning in to the desired radio station.

This form of dialogue simplifies voice control for the driver and improves the speech recognition by the system. What’s more, the scope of dialogue assistance functions can be expanded almost infinitely. The AVATAR may for instance serve as a virtual assistant and access online databases via an internet link on board the car, make new entries in the driver’s appointment calendar or read out important emails. Through dialogue-controlled operation, distractions are reduced to a minimum – safety is, after all, writ large at Mercedes-Benz at all times.

http:///2017/02/der-f-700-das-forschungsfahrzeug-mit-diesotto-antrieb/