Vision AVTR

Mercedes-Benz unveiled a concept car called the Vision AVTR, inspired by James Cameron’s 2009 Hollywood blockbuster – Avatar

MERCEDES-BENZ ALWAYS HAS stunning concepts to showcase, and at the Consumer Electronic show in Las Vegas this year, it showed off the Vision AVTR (Advanced Vehicle Transformation) concept . The Vision AVTR is heavily inspired by James Cameron's Hollywood blockbuster Avatar and highlights the connection between nature, humans and machinery. It takes into account all the visual details in the movie, including the Na'vi people, and even their flying creatures, the silhouettes of which can be seen as small details on the car.

The Vision AVTR can be controlled and operated by the centre console that also reads your pulse, which Mercedes-Benz head Ola Källenius used to drive this concept car onto the stage. The interiors have been designed to reflect the Na'vi tribe homes, and Mercedes have taken it up a level with this concept, incorporating a virtual reality system that lets you explore the planet of Pandora from the comfort of this concept car's hammock-style seats. They have sourced ‘sustainable' Dinamica faux leather and Karoon (a type of wood) extracted from the Amazon forests that give it a unique look with all of those recycled materials.

Mercedes also announced the Vision AVTR's 110kWh graphene-based battery pack is made of recycled minerals using organic cell chemistry. The 110kWh battery pack powers four motors – one on each wheel – that churn out over 470bhp, and are capable of running the Vision AVTR for 700km, claims Mercedes-Benz. The icing on the cake is the intensively dense pack that can be fully charged in just 15 minutes.

Another standout feature shown on stage at CES was the crab crawling mode in which the car can turn by rotating all the wheels up to 30 degrees, making it easy to manoeuvre while obviously reducing its turning radius. It also has a unique set of scales on the rear section of the car called Bionic flaps, mimicking an animal raising its hair and can be adapted for aerodynamic purposes when the car is in motion.

The Vision AVTR might never see the light of day but we expect Mercedes-Benz to borrow cues for its road-going cars. It also gives us a sneak peek into what the Mercs of the future will look like. Who knows; it might even make a debut in the sequel to the original flick.

THE BIONIC FLAPS AT THE REAR CAN BE ADAPTED FOR AERODYNAMIC PURPOSES