MetaChat - Mercedes "fish inspired" car.

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19 March 2007

Mercedes "fish inspired" car. →[More:] It isn't that ugly, considering it has a drag co-efficient of 0.06! 0.02 more than an idealized drop of water??

I mean, 1/4 the aero drag of a Honda Insight?? 84 mpg with a standard injection 1.9 liter turbo-diesel? 0-60 in 8.2 seconds?

I'm a customer, if it's got leather seats. How 'bout you?

post by: paulsc at: 00:41 | 13 comments

Whoops. The Benz has a drag coefficient of 0.19. A clay model of the fish that inspired it is 0.06.

I'd still rather have the Benz, than the puffer fish.

posted by paulsc 19 March | 00:48

Nope, it's ugly. Really ugly.

posted by TheDonF 19 March | 02:44

Uh no. It's definitely ugly.

posted by chewatadistance 19 March | 07:35

I would never, ever part with any serious amount of money for something that ugly. I would rather walk. Really.

posted by dg 19 March | 07:38

Although the Bionic isn't coming to your local dealership, Mercedes does expect it to significantly influence the design language of its next generation of small cars.

It's not a car, it's an influence.

BTW, aerodynamic drag is an extremely minor factor - compared to HP/weight issues and rolling friction - below 60 mph.

posted by warbaby 19 March | 08:48

I like it. It's so weird and round; I'd totally buy one. If, you know, I was in the car buying demographic.

posted by mygothlaundry 19 March | 08:53

I'm with mgl, I'd totally buy one and I am in the car-buying demographic, well not right now but in a few years I will be (stoopid student-no-money-status). I like "ugly" things and I love this car. It doesn't hurt that it's mercedes too.

posted by LunaticFringe 19 March | 10:09

DC has been showing this thing around for a while. I don't know why they don't just build it. It doesn't seem to suffer from any of the usual manufacturing or packaging difficulties that concepts usually have to deal with. Two versions, one minivan sized and the other smart car sized. The thing would sell I'm sure, North Americans are wising up to fuel economy. They've already done much of the expensive aero work and I assume the 1.9 is a stock engine package.

I don't think it's ugly. It's a damn sight better looking than most minivans IMO.

More pictures

posted by Mitheral 19 March | 10:57

I'd totally buy that, but only if they painted it something other than sickly yellow.

posted by me3dia 19 March | 11:34

If you gave it a custom paint job that made it resemble a fish, that might be more compelling. Why not play up the image?

posted by pieisexactlythree 19 March | 11:50

Hm. Reminds me of an Insight that's been beaten with an ugly stick (Häβlichstock?). I'll take the Insight.

posted by hangashore 19 March | 13:36

LunaticFringe:

I like "ugly" things

*cries*

posted by sciurus 19 March | 16:57

*pats sciurus on the back, administers whuffles*

That is one butt-ugly car. Fugly. Got hit with the ugly stick.

But it's interesting.

posted by Specklet 19 March | 17:43

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