Mercedes sculpture previews new design language

Mercedes is celebrating the 125th anniversary  of Karl Benz’s patent for the first “vehicle with gas-engine drive.” And as well as acknowledging its history, the German brand is looking to the future with a new sculpture which sets out the look of the firm’s forthcoming cars.

Called Aesthetics 125, the swooping sculpture was unveiled at a special ceremony last weekend, attended by Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel. The new art work follows Aesthetics No. 1, which previewed the new CLS, and Aesthetics No. 2, which was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in January, and showed the interior of the new A-Class.

As for the firm’s latest work, the sculpture has been created by Merc’s design chief Gordon Wagener to show how the interior and exterior design of the next generation of Mercedes will be more harmonious. The sweeping form of the sculpture also hints at more flowing, organic lines, which will replace the current angular look.

The sculpture was made using an innovative rapid-prototyping technology, which enables digital data to be transferred directly to a design object. The technology works with various materials and applies them in fine layers so that no waste material is produced when a sculpture is created.

Mercedes also revealed its latest patent at the event, for bipolar flat-cell frame lithium-ion battery technology which is being developed by the firm as the next step in its bid to make batteries easier to mass produce.

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