The Mercedes Vision One-Eleven is a modern interpretation of 70s design

The new Mercedes Vision One-Eleven is a new concept that aims to capture some of the look and feel of the firm’s concepts from the 1960s and 70s.

The Vision One-Eleven harks back to the Mercedes C111 experimental vehicles which were used to test new rotary ‘Wankel’ and turbodiesel engines, as well as futuristic polymer-based bodyshells.

They also incorporated an eye-catching gullwing door design and orange and black paintwork, which are both carried through to this modern interpretation.

The Vision One-Eleven has side windows which are opaque from the outside but clear from the inside, while the large wheels sit flush within the arches. The wheels themselves are said to take their designs from ‘electric motor windings’ which references the full battery-powered setup underneath the vehicle.

The front end of the original C111 featured a rectangular front element with rounded ends made from plastic and equipped with round foglamps. On the Vision One-Eleven, this is replaced by a flexible external display which can be used to display messages to other road users.

Inside, the Vision One-Eleven has been designed to offer a lounge-like experience. When the car is in race mode it aims to provide an engaging driving experience, however, in lounge mode the seats allow the occupants to relax while the car’s autonomous functions take the strain instead.

There’s also a pixel display which spans the entire width of the dashboard. It’s been given a coarse finish, too, so that the media it displays feels bolder than with a conventional screen.