Recently there has been a great competition between Rolls Royce and Mercedes Benz, which with the Maybach target the same type of customers as the English company. At the 2007 Detroit Motor Show, both companies presented large four-door convertible cars, accentuating this rivalry more clearly.
Even Mercedes Benz people made it clear that Ocean Drive is not just a Concept. All its technology and construction make it totally viable to begin production in the short term, if Mercedes considered that the market response would be as favorable as desired.
The design of this brand new Concept developed by Mercedes Benz features traditional elements such as the huge front grid, 30 percent larger than that of the Mercedes S-Class, in conjunction with new components such as LED front lights and rear-view mirrors with light indicators.
The most remarkable merit in the design of the body, in my opinion, is the good handling of the overall proportions that prevent the car from looking unbalanced, given that it is rare to see such a large convertible with four doors that are really large. Painting work is impeccable, separating the body into two areas with different intensities of the same color.
The image of its profile allows you to appreciate a high waist line and well located, properly soft to maintain harmony but with a degree of curvature sufficient to not lose dynamism. The convenient absence of a parante or “B” pillar avoids creating an overload of elements and helps maintain a very subtle design, which is difficult to achieve in a large car.
Another detail mentioned by designers is the use of 21-inch tires with dozens of thin rays. The aim of the adoption of these tires is to recall those used in the luxurious limousines of the pre-war era.
Taking up the above on the feasibility of early manufacturing, the Mercedes Ocean Drive Concept is based on the platform of the current S600 Class and also incorporates its V12 engine. The technology is also the same in terms of systems such as “Pre-Safe” and “Distronic radar” described at the end of this note.
The big novelty with regard to comfort technology is the Airscarf system, which translates into something like “air scarf”. This air conditioner sends the air to the temperature selected by each passenger directly to the level of their neck, meaning that the environment can be climatised even in a convertible vehicle...
When the processor detects that the car is close to an impact situation, the seat belts receive an automatic pre-voltage. This results in the fact that these 2 seconds or less are sufficient to get ahead of the inertial system, achieving greater safety margins. The driver, feeling the tension of the second, can react and correct his posture in the armchair, thus preparing himself for the inevitable accident.
The Distronic system is a cruise control that sets parameters of distances between cars. The system operates up to speeds of up to 200 km/h. It is very useful, especially in heavy traffic situations. The system measures the distance from the car located in front of the car, if it foresees a possible impact, apply the correct braking dose to avoid the accident. In tests performed on more than 300 drivers, it reduced collisions by 75 percent.
© Adrián Blanco 2007 - No full or partial reproduction of text and/or images without explicit written consent of the author. —
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