Mercedes-Benz Vision One Eleven Concept Pays Tribute To The Iconic C111 Prototype

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a new one-off EV concept paying homage to the C111 prototype from the 1970s.  The Mercedes-Benz Vision One Eleven represents the brand’s aim of producing fully electric performance cars, and is basically a teaser for what’s yet to come. The Vision One Eleven is powered by futuristic technology which Mercedes plan to implement for their next generation of EVs.

The Vision One Eleven Concept pays homage to the Mercedes-Benz C111 prototype from 1970

The Vision One Eleven Concept is only a stylistic concept, and Mercedes-Benz has not announced any plans to launch it as a production car. The exterior of the Vision One Eleven utilises a ‘one-bow’ design featuring clean-cut lines. It is finished in a deep metallic orange paint job, similar to the C111 Prototype. Both the front and rear display panels have adopted an oval shape with pixel optics that act as the headlights and taillights and can also exhibit messages and patterns. An all-glass canopy covers the interior from above, stretching across the top and the sides, acting as the windows. Another eye-catching exterior feature in the Vision One Eleven is its Gullwing doors,  also similar to those present on the C111 and 1954. 

Coming to the interior, it features a largely basic layout. The steering wheel on the car along with the chrome-coloured bucket seats resembles the ones we see in Mercedes AMG racecars. An augmented reality headset turns the entire interior into a user interface that can enhance the driving experience theoretically. The pixel display theme continues in the interior, as it covers the width of the interior and takes up the majority of the dashboard. The cabin of the Vision One Eleven is entirely unique to present-day production cars.

The chrome-coloured bucket seats with orange leather seem to be racecar inspired

The unveiling of the Vision One Eleven included the C111 Prototype, which was on display alongside the concept. The C111 Prototype was a breath of fresh air for the industry when it was released, as its one-of-a-kind design was ahead of its time and it entirely deviated from the styles of other Mercedes Benz models during that period. The C111 entered limited production in the 1970s with 16 units being produced.

While the Vision One Eleven is not set to go into production, it is an example of the future of Mercedes-Benz performance cars. An axial-flux motor powers the Vision One Eleven, with this technology being developed for upcoming Mercedes EVs. Mercedes are integrating these motors due to their compact size and elevated performance in comparison to the radial-flux units currently present in their EVs. The battery-powered Vision One Eleven is also a statement from Mercedes-Benz, regarding the direction the carmaker is heading towards for the foreseeable future, which appears to be high-performance electric cars.