It just wouldn’t be a Frankfurt Motor Show without an astonishing global game-changing vehicle from Mercedes-Benz – and this year it was the ‘Concept IAA’ (Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile).
This chameleon car automatically undergoes a dramatic change in shape in order to maximize aerodynamic efficiency at speeds in excess of 80km/h.
The four-door coupe becomes a slippery performer either automatically or with the push of a button: eight segments extend at the rear increasing its length by up to 390mm; flaps in the front bumper extend by 25mm to the front and 20mm to the rear improving the airflow around the frnt0end and wheelarches; active rims alter their cupping from 55mm to zero’ the louvre in the front bumper moves 60mm to the rear to improve the underbody airflow.
But don’t be deterred by all this ‘science lab’ stuff – just a quick glance confirms the Mercedes-Benz ‘Concept IAA’ is handsomely styled with classic ‘Benz proportions.
Inside there are some slight cues to the current S-Class models but the two-spoke steering wheel is a serious piece of kit – OFN (Optical Finger Navigation) buttons ;provide touch-based operations for numerous functions.
Trust Mercedes-Benz to capture the Frankfurt headlines…again!
