It was a day where past and future rubbed up against one another: On a day Mercedes-Benz announced the sale at auction of the most expensive collector’s car on the planet (the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut), it also presented the Vision concept, a sports coupe that foreshadows the electric future of the company's AMG performance division.
Mercedes-AMG has embarked on a radical transformation of its operations, moving away from the big V* and V12 engines that made its reputation to smaller displacement blocks and hybridization. The upcoming C63 AMG, for example, will swap its 4.0L turbo V8 for a 2.0L hybrid turbo 4-cylinder. And before long, AMG will move away from gasoline engines altogether.
That’s where the Vision AMG concept unveiled yesterday comes in. It delivers a glimpse of the AMG division's all-electric future and, according to the parent company, the plan is to debut it by 2025.
The AMG Vision Concept’s sleek shape is composed of smooth, highly aerodynamic surfaces. The wheelbase is long, which suggests a very spacious interior. The rear and side windows are painted the same colour as the rest of the car, which adds a mysterious touch to the car. The back end looks like something out of a science fiction movie.
Considering the overall format of the model, we find the spirit of the EQXX concept, and Mercedes says in fact that an active spoiler is present at the rear, although we can't see it on the images. As for what propels the AMG Vision concept, we'll have to wait and see, although we know that the model is based on a new platform called AMG.EA.
Mercedes also gave a nod to its Formula 1 team with the Vision AMG concept. The silver paint, blue accents, and star pattern on the rear half of the car are reminiscent of the race car's esthetic. The 22-inch wheels also feature a closed, aerodynamic design, similar to the wheel covers introduced for the 2022 Formula 1 season.
Mercedes hasn't confirmed that the concept directly prefigures a future AMG model, but many of the design elements are expected to be found on a future production model.
It used to be that the cars of the future that were presented to us in concept form would never see the light of day. With electrification and what it allows in terms of design, everything now seems possible.
