Mercedes-Benz’ F 800

A synthesis of green technology and stylish-sporty design, the F 800 Style impressively demonstrates Mercedes-Benz’ ability to harmonize automobile fascination and emotion with the continually increasing demands of environmental compatibility. Like its predecessor, the F 700 presented at the 2007 IAA motor show, the latest research vehicle from the brand with the star offers a clear idea of what we can expect in the future from premium automobiles “made by Mercedes-Benz.” Whereas the 5.18-meter F 700 provided a preview of the large touring sedan of the future, the much shorter F 800 Style (4.75 meters exterior length) points the way toward developments to come in the upper-range sedan segment.

“The F 800 Style combines the functionality of a groundbreaking upper-class sedan with the highly emotional formal idiom of the new Mercedes-Benz design,” says Mercedes-Benz Head of Design Gorden Wagener. “The long wheelbase and the model’s intelligent interior design ensure a generous amount of space and great freedom of movement for five occupants. The result is a distinctive harmony of form and function, whereby the Mercedes brand value of ‘cultivated sportiness’ can be seen and felt in every detail.”

With a total length of 4.75 meters, the F 800 Style has both a longer wheelbase (2,924 millimeters) and a greater width (1,938 millimeters) than today’s upper-range sedans. All of the components of the vehicle’s extremely efficient and environmentally compatible alternative drive system (either Plug-in Hybrid or fuel cell drive) are installed in a space-saving manner in the engine compartment and in the gaps within the chassis. As a result, the entire interior space is preserved and offers plenty of room for up to five occupants.

The exterior appearance of the F 800 Style is marked by its long wheelbase, short body overhangs, and a sensually flowing, coupe-like roof line. The dynamic side view and the vehicle’s balanced proportions lend it a sporty yet sensual look that conveys a feeling of style and superior performance. “The F 800 blends seamlessly into our design scheme,” says Wagener. “It’s immediately recognizable as a Mercedes, even though it embodies our reinterpretation and further development of the brand’s typical design idiom.”

Another important design feature in the F 800 Style is its organically stretched body surface elements. These flow into convex transition zones and are delineated by precisely curved lines. This creates characteristic lines which visually subdivide the vehicle body and generate emotional tension. The powerful front contoured line on the sidewall extends across the flank and then fades off as it moves downward. This line lends the F 800 Style — with its grey metallic ALU-BEAM color tone — a highly dynamic appearance, without making it seem aggressive.The sensually curved roof line underscores the exceptional aerodynamic quality of the coupe, which has a height of 1.43 meters.

The F 800 Style’s front end features a variation of the radiator grille with the centrally placed brand star that can be found in the new E-Class coupe as well as in other models. This grille extends prominently toward the front in the F 800 Style, while the bionically curving lamellae softly flow around the tube holding the Mercedes-Benz brand star. Other noticeable design features include the drop-shaped and thus aerodynamically designed exterior mirrors, whose housings, like those in the Concept BlueZERO model, are partially transparent and backlit.

A “shining” example of technological and design innovation at Mercedes-Benz is offered in the truest sense of the word by the powerful LED headlights in the F 800 Style. The combination of fiber optics and state-of-the-art LED technology lends the vehicle a striking appearance. Along with the wide radiator grille and the generously curved air intake openings, the LED headlights emphasize the dynamic nature of the research vehicle. The headlights are divided into individual segments for daytime running lights, turn signal indicators, and primary headlights.

The F 800 Style’s taillights are also equipped with state-of-the-art LED units that enable an exciting interplay of indirect illumination and direct beams, which further enhances the stylish appearance of the vehicle’s rear section at night. The result is an attractive, unmistakable, and memorable visual effect.

The F 800 Style’s translucent roof is divided into several segments. With flowing lines that dissolve and let more and more light through, the roof incorporates the wave styling elements of the air outlets. The F 800 Style’s 20-inch alloy wheels are equipped with plastic inserts whose bionically arranged air intake openings are shaped like filigree turbine blades.

Natural wood surfaces and a harmonious color gradient from light to dark make for an elegant and cozy interior in the F 800 Style. This interior was created at the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy, and its modern sense of lightness is immediately noticed by occupants. Functional elements such as the driver area and the door armrests seem to float in space like sculptures, while light-colored wood surfaces underscore the model’s elegant ambience. Side panels covered with alcantara form a visual contrast to the wood. The panels are light beige in the area of the A-pillar and grow darker in a smooth color gradient as they extend to the back, ending in a dark grey tone in the rear of the vehicle. Additional design details are provided by attractive engraved patterns in the rear door panels.

The innovative lightweight-construction seats in the F 800 Style consist of a magnesium shell and a carbon fiber laminate seatback across which a fine yet resistant netting is stretched. The seat shell is veneered with real wood. For the wood inlaying process, Mercedes-Benz engineers employed an innovative technology designed especially for the veneering of three-dimensional surfaces. The new 3D surface coating procedure developed by Mercedes-Benz was also used to install the wood finishing in the center console, on the doors, and in the driver area. These wood finishing pieces are molded as 3D laminated components and are augmented by an aluminum layer, a feature that significantly improves crash safety.

The single-section organically curved cockpit offers plenty of legroom for front-seat passengers. In a setup similar to the one used in the F 700 research vehicle from 2007, all important information for the driver is presented on the large and clearly arranged display unit in the instrument cluster. A key new feature of this improved display is that it focuses for the first time on data associated with electric vehicle operation. The unit thus puts important relevant information such as the battery charge state and remaining vehicle range at the center of attention.

The integrated display unit, which elegantly protrudes from the curved console, provides for a feeling of exceptional interior spaciousness. Outstanding ergonomic quality is guaranteed by the new HMI with cam touchpad integrated into the center console. The unit also boasts several technical innovations, including its ability to visually depict the current functions within the cam touchpad’s menu structure on the display above the center console.

The rear doors of the F 800 Style ideally embody the harmony of form and function that typifies the vehicle.

Whereas the front doors are attached to the A-pillar in a conventional manner and open toward the front, the rear doors slide backward when opened. The innovative swivel arm construction of the rear doors allowed designers to forgo the use of visible door rails, giving the F 800 Style the appearance of being cast in one piece when its doors are closed. “We integrated the door technology into the vehicle in such a manner that it blends seamlessly into the overall design flow, thus perfectly harmonizing ergonomics and design,” says Wagener.
The F 800 Style is both a technology package and a showcar. The latest Mercedes-Benz research vehicle was created through close international cooperation between the technical research and advanced engineering departments and the advanced design studios in Sindelfingen and Como, Italy. Form and function are equally important in the F 800 Style. For example, all of the air intake openings and outlets have an important technical function in addition to the bold design statement they make,and the organic, nature-based wave shape for the protective grille is a typical design feature that is present throughout the vehicle.

In combination with the very powerful Plug-in Hybrid drive system, the F 800 Style is a very dynamic expression of the concept of “fascination and responsibility.” Its drive unit consists of a V6 gasoline engine with an output of approximately 220 kW (300 hp) with next-generation direct injection and a hybrid module with an output of about 80 kW (109 hp) so that it delivers a total power of around 300 kW (409 hp). The lithium-ion battery with a storage capacity of >10 kWh can be recharged either at a charging station or a household power socket. Thanks to its powerful and high-torque hybrid module, in the city the F 800 Style can run exclusively on electricity and therefore without generating any local emissions. Because it also has a high torque right from the moment it starts, the vehicle has the same driving performance as a car with a V6 gasoline engine even when operating in electric mode. The F 800 Style with the Plug-in Hybrid can run purely on electricity for up to 30 kilometers. The F 800 Style research vehicle therefore marks a further important step in the creation of a market-ready Plug-in Hybrid. Mercedes-Benz will begin series production of the
S 500 Plug-in Hybrid with the introduction of the next-generation S-Class.

Due to its efficient drive system and a CO₂ bonus for the battery-electric driving mode, the vehicle has a certified fuel consumption of only 2.9 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers. This corresponds to extremely low CO₂ emissions of only 68 grams per kilometer. However, thanks to its outstanding efficiency, the F 800 Style equipped with a Plug-in Hybrid nevertheless has a driving performance comparable to a sports car (0-100 km/h in 4.8 s, top speed of 250 km/h). When in electric mode, the F 800 Style has a top speed of 120 km/h, and can thus also meet the needs associated with long-distance driving.

As is the case with the Mercedes-Benz S 400 HYBRID introduced in the summer of 2009 and the Vision S 500 Plug-in Hybrid, the especially powerful electric module (approx. 80 kW) of the F 800 Style is completely integrated into the housing of the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed transmission. The lithium-ion battery in the new research vehicle is located underneath the rear seat, where it takes up little space, creates a low center of gravity, and ensures maximum safety in the event of a crash.

The electric drive components in the F 800 Style with the Plug-in Hybrid once again demonstrate the versatility of Mercedes-Benz’ extensively scalable modular hybrid system. The hybrid system can be expanded in various ways, depending on performance needs and the area of application. On this basis, it is possible to combine hybrid modules and batteries of different performance ratings with fuel-efficient, high-torque gasoline and diesel engines. Examples range from the current mild hybrids all the way to Plug-in Hybrids that enable exclusively electric driving over long distances. In developing the F 800 Style with Plug-in Hybrid, the Mercedes engineers particularly focused on improving the possibilities of driving exclusively with electricity in urban traffic. Thanks to high power reserves, the F 800 Style in e-mode easily masters all kinds of city traffic while producing no local emissions. With the new hybrid module, the top speed of the F 800 Style with Plug-in Hybrid has been increased to 120 km/h in electric mode compared to the Vision S 500 Plug-in Hybrid. At the same time, it emits only 68 grams of CO₂ per kilometer, compared to the latter vehicle’s 74 grams per kilometer.

The F 800 Style also offers clean driving pleasure in the variant equipped with an electric drive based on fuel cell technology. The vehicle’s electric motor develops around 100 kW (136 hp) as well as a strong torque of approximately 290 Nm. The fuel cell generates the traction current by chemically reacting hydrogen with oxygen onboard the vehicle, producing water vapor in the process as the only emission.

The components of the fuel cell drive are taken from the range of e-drive modules, which Mercedes-Benz developed for a variety of different electric vehicles. These components, which are already being installed in the limited edition B-Class F-CELL, can be flexibly used and are suited for a variety of different drive configurations. The F 800 Style is an example of this, as it uses rear-wheel drive, in contrast to the B-Class F-CELL. The same components are also installed in commercial vehicles, with developments here being spearheaded by the new Citaro fuel cell bus, which is equipped with two of the F-CELL systems used in passenger cars.

The new Mercedes-Benz research vehicle has the fuel cell located in the front, while the compact electric motor is installed near the rear axle. The lithium-ion battery is located behind the rear seats and is protected as well as possible against the effects of accidents, as are the four hydrogen tanks. Two of the tanks are located in the transmission tunnel between the passengers, while the other two are underneath the rear seat.

Mercedes