Mercedes-Benz presents the Vision One-Eleven, a new all-electric sports car study. The futuristic two-seater hypercar was unveiled at the Mercedes-Benz International Design Center in Carlsbad, California, and includes various technologies that will find their way to production models in the coming years.
The Vision One-Eleven’s sleek supercar looks are clearly inspired by the original C111 prototype, painted a vibrant shade of orange. With the signature Mercedes-Benz One-Bow design executed flawlessly, the car exudes a modern and sculptural feel. The low-slung front end seamlessly flows into muscular hind quarters, emphasizing the vehicle’s sporty nature. Flush-fit gullwing doors, pixelated pattern side windows, and large-diameter wheels further enhance the car’s aerodynamic profile, creating a visually stunning masterpiece.
Instead of a grille, the One-Eleven’s front end features an oval panel with pixelated LEDs that mimic the C111’s fog lights and can also display messages to pedestrians and other drivers. A similar panel is found on the rear end and a similar pixelated pattern appears on the opaque windows, a feature we’ve seen on other Mercedes concepts like the Vision AMG.
The two axial-flow electric motors used in the electric study are a development of the English electric motor specialist Yasa, which Mercedes-Benz acquired in 2021. Mercedes-Benz is developing the technology with Yasa for its next-generation electric drives to production readiness on a large scale. The future generation of axial flow motors from Yasa will be produced at the Mercedes-Benz site in Berlin-Marienfelde and will form the core of the upcoming electric drive trains in the performance segment. The development of these next-generation electric drives signifies a new level of performance for electric vehicles, setting the stage for an exciting future in electric mobility.
The battery is composed of “liquid-cooled cylindrical cells with a novel cell chemistry” that Mercedes says drew on learnings from Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrain, which is responsible for the power units in the company’s Formula 1 racers. While the Vision One-Eleven certainly isn’t bound for production, the snazzy design should inspire future Mercedes cars, and we expect the axial-flux motors to find their way into the brand’s EVs within the next several years.
Stepping inside the Vision One-Eleven, occupants are greeted by a lounge concept interior, a testament to the evolving nature of sports cars towards autonomous electric vehicles. The distinctive orange hue appears inside the One-Eleven as well, with the brightly colored leather which Mercedes says was tanned using coffee bean husks contrasting with the white dashboard material, made from recycled polyester. That dashboard is simplistic, with a full-width LED pixel display meant to recall old-school news tickers that displays important information like speed.
While the One-Eleven isn’t destined for production, the YASA axial-flux electric motors most certainly are, with upcoming AMG vehicles likely being the first to use the new lightweight tech.