Mercedes-Benz F200 Imagination concept (1996)
Concept car · 1996 · Combustion
No steering wheel, no pedals - just a sidestick and a glimpse of drive-by-wire.
The F200 Imagination was Mercedes-Benz's research vehicle for the future of vehicle control, ditching the conventional steering wheel and pedals in favor of two sidesticks - one in the door armrest, one in the center console - that let either front occupant steer, accelerate and brake by drive-by-wire. Its sweeping V12 luxury-coupe body previewed styling cues and technologies, including electro-transparent glass roof panels and camera-based mirrors, that would surface in later production Mercedes and Maybach models.
Key facts
- Engine: 6.0L V12
- Power: 389 hp
- Controls: Dual sidesticks (drive-by-wire)
- Length: 5,105 mm
- Wheelbase: 2,945 mm
Production
- Status: Concept only
- A 1996 technology research concept (with sidestick controls) that was never produced, though it previewed the CL-Class.
- Revealed at 1996 Paris Motor Show
Source: Wikipedia - Mercedes-Benz F200