BEACH BODIES

Some of the seriously shapely supercar fare that graced Pebble Beach

THE MERCEDES-BENZ VISION EQ SILVER ARROW DRAWS ITS 550 kw FROM AN ALL-ELECTRIC POWERTRAIN 01 MERCEDES-BENZ EQ SILVER ARROW CONCEPT

Mercedes-benz’s latest EQ concept envisages a futuristic, single-seater racer inspired by the 1937 W125 Silver Arrow racecar that dominated the pre-war Grand Prix scene. The concept’s 5,3-metre shell is constructed from carbon-fibre and features multi-layered paintwork reflecting the silver, unfinished bodywork of the W125.

The cockpit blends traditional elements (saddle-brown leather on the seat and steering wheel, polished aluminium throughout the interior and solid walnut veneers) with hightech solutions, such as a head-up display for the panoramic screen and Airscarf shoulder-level ventilation for a driver’s seat featuring a racecarlike four-point seatbelt system.

The Vision EQ Silver Arrow draws its 550 kw from an all-electric powertrain fed by a thin 80 kwh rechargeable battery array in the underbody. This unit offers a calculated operating range of more than 400 km. Not to be outdone by its Stuttgart rival, Audi has also unveiled a race-focused EV supercar concept. The PB18 utilises a trio of electric motors (front axle; individual rearwheel unit) with a total output of 450 kw and 830 N.m; good for 0-100 km/h in around 2,0 seconds.

03 SSC TUATARA

Shelby Super Cars, of speed recordsetting SSC Ultimate Aero fame, unveiled its Tuatara hypercar at Pebble Beach. With a 5,9-litre twinturbo V8 developing 1 305 kw, the Tuatara – of which only 100 will be made – will hit a claimed top speed of 485 km/h.

04 INFINITI PROTOTYPE 10

Taking a similar leaf out of the Silver Arrow’s retro-racer book, Infiniti’s Prototype 10 will reportedly showcase a number of design cues destined for upcoming models from Nissan’s luxury arm.