This unique Mercedes is different from any other with a body that looks like a boxfish.
“Quirky” is our weekly concept We Forgot game, and the Mercedes Bionic, modeled after Ostracion Cubicus the boxfish, is no exception.
Mercedes was inspired by the Pacific Ocean boxfish, which is what led to the end of the DaimlerChrysler era. The concept, which was based on the Volkswagen XL1, had a very unusual shape but it was extremely aerodynamic. It also featured a drag coefficient just 0.19. The A Class Sedan has a 0.22 Cd. This is a reference.
The Bionic’s compact two-door design was not only attractive for its minimalist exterior, but also its sleek cabin that features a panoramic roof and cameras. It is also notable for its remarkable fuel efficiency. The Bionic was fitted with a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine that uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR). It averaged 4.3 liters per 100 km or 54.7 miles per gallon. According to the official press release, the vehicle’s fuel consumption was only 2.8 liters/100 km (84 mpg) at constant speed of 56 mph (90 km/h).
The Bionic is fully functional and can seat up to four people. It was created by Mercedes, with the help of bionic experts in order to apply the “growth principles from nature to automotive engineering”:
This process uses the Soft Kill Option (SKO) method. Bodywork and chassis components are dimensionalized by computer simulation. The material is then made thinner and cut away in low-load areas. High stress areas are reinforced. The entire body-inwhite structure is lighter by applying the SKO technique, but the high levels and stability of the crashworthiness and driving dynamics are not affected.