While we English-speaking folk call it the Frankfurt
Motor Show, our German friends call this week's biannual confab the Internationale AutomobilAusstellung, or IAA. At first glance, then, you might
think Mercedes-Benz named its Frankfurt concept,
the Concept IAA, after the show it'd debut at. But,
the Concept IAA isn't named for the show. It's
actually
an
abbreviation
for
Intelligent
Aerodynamic
Automobile,
and
it's
very
aerodynamic indeed.
I'm not a watch person. Haven't worn one
regularly since high school (I'm 33 years old now),
and have never been enamored with the likes of
Rolex or Longines. But the Apple Watch is, of
course, much more than a mere time teller, and
the company expects to sell a lot of these things
to people like me -- you don't build a $700 billion
company selling niche products, after all. The
question is: Why would someone like me want
one?
This four-door coupe can transform, while moving,
from its sedan-like design mode to an ultra-sleek,
gas-powered fish of a car. This aerodynamic
mode has a drag coefficent of just 0.19. That's
sleeker than a Tesla Model S, and it ties the rating
of the General Motors EV1 electric car. In fact, it's
very nearly as aerodynamic as the Volkswagen
XL1.
The IAA can transform automatically at 80
kilometers per hour (about 50 miles per hour) or via
the press of a button. When it enters an
aerodynamic mode, eight segments at the back
of the car extend out, adding over 15 inches to
the overall vehicle length, effectively extending its
already tear-dropped-shaped tail. And that's just
the most visible aero aid.
At the front of the car, flaps in the bumper extend
out nearly an inch, while there's a smaller extender
in the back bumper. These serve to keep air away
from the wheel arches, where turbulence can
become an issue. Of course, Mercedes has
thought of this, too, fitting "Active Rims" that "alter
their cupping from 55 mm to zero," whatever that
means.
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There's even an active aero aid inside the front
bumper, where a louver extends backward by 2.3
inches to smooth out the air traveling underneath
the car.
Outside of its super-slippery mode, the IAA is a
relatively handsome four-door coupe, featuring the
kind of plunging roofline that wouldn't look out of
place on the company's pioneering CLS-Class. The
interior is certainly worthy of the CLS, too. It's home
to gorgeous white leather and touch-based
controls, and in general, looks very luxurious.
Mercedes' dogged pursuit of aerodynamics does
not mean that the Concept IAA is some gutless
ecomobile. Under the skin is a gas-powered, plugin hybrid system that produces up to 279
horsepower and allows the sleek sedan to hit 155
mph. Its all-electric range is based, of course, on
what mode its body is in. It's most impressive in aero
mode, where it will cover 41 miles on a single
charge. Switch over to design mode, and that
figure drops slightly to 38.5 miles.
Check out the official gallery up top and the full
press release down below. And of course, stand by
for much more on the Concept IAA as our Frankfurt
Motor Show coverage continues.