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2005 Mercedes-Benz Bionic Car Concept

A Seafood Lovers Delight

Pretty? Well, maybe youd find it attractive if you were a boxfish, the inspiration for Mercedes-Benz Bionic Car, which was unveiled at the Washington Conference Center in Washington, DC as part of DaimlerChryslers "Impact on America" symposium in May. I was there, saw it with my own two eyes, and can attest that its about as attractive as AMCs Pacer, but stimulating a car enthusiasts visual senses was hardly the reason Mercedes-Benz put this one together.

But designing a car after a fish? Why not? Mercedes-Benzs DaimlerChrysler cousin Chrysler Group once offered a car within its now defunct Plymouth division inspired by and named after the Barracuda. American Motors Corporation (AMC), which was eventually purchased by Chrysler Group, offered sports coupe buyers the Marlin. And what

Pretty? Well, maybe youd find it attractive if you were a boxfish. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

about the legendary Corvette Stingray or Mako Shark concepts that preceded and followed it?

Yes, there has definitely been precedent for fish inspired automobiles, but the boxfish derived Bionic Car is different. Where the Barracuda may have included gill-like fender slats, and the Stingray a sleek profile ending in a pointed tail similar to the graceful, yet menacing looking aquatic creature, the Bionic Car appears nearly identical to its muse, even in color. And to be honest, its not the prettiest

The Bionic Car appears nearly identical to its muse, even in color. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)?

of fish.

But thats neither here nor there, because while the Stingray may have been a gorgeous automotive design it wasnt particularly aerodynamic. Thats the interesting reality modern-day aerodynamicists have discovered, that the sleek, elegant lines of early sports cars didnt necessarily cut through the wind with the same efficiency as the boxy sedans of the same era.
A good example of this is the mid 60s to early 70s Alfa Romeo Spiders, GTVs and Giulia Supers. The latter car was about as boxy as anything up to that point. I had a friend

The Bionic Car features a unique teardrop shape, pug-nosed up front, thick in the middle and canting inward towards the rear end, proven to deliver an amazingly low 0.17 coefficient of drag. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)?

who owned a white one and we nicknamed it the fridge. You might remember it from the original Michael Caine film, The Italian Job, in which the little Alfa sedans were the blue and white police cars attempting to catch the zippy little Minis on their way out of Turin. The little box turns out to be much slipperier through the air than the sleek Italian convertible, made famous in another classic film, The Graduate, and yet again more efficient than the beautiful GTV coupe.

Back to the Bionic Car, its unique teardrop shape, pug-nosed up front,

Ironically, Mercedes has given the Bionic Car a helicopter-like wrap-over windshield, which looks extremely interesting as it darts to a point atop the cars roof. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)?

thick in the middle and canting inward towards the rear end, has proven to deliver amazingly low wind resistance: its mere 0.17 coefficient of drag would make it the most aerodynamic vehicle on the street if produced today.

The most wind-cheating car currently available in production trim is Hondas rather awkward looking Insight hybrid. With a Cd of 0.25, it is quite a bit more resistant than the Bionic Car, although the Hondas Citroen DS21-like rear fender skirts also resemble those on the new Mercedes concept.

Interestingly, if youre into such things, the fish car is also shaped a little bit like a Bell 204 / 205 H-1 Iroquois

The Bionic Car doesnt have any side-view mirrors, but nstead tiny cameras project rearward images onto two monitors integrated into the cabins roof at eye level. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)?

helicopter, otherwise known as the Huey, but not so much as the boxfish itself. The car doesnt include the fish and helicopters tail section, but its nose and fuselage is uncannily similar in shape to both.

Ironically, Mercedes has given the Bionic Car a helicopter-like wrap-over windshield, which looks extremely interesting as it darts to a point atop the cars roof, but in reality, combined with two additional strips of glass that extended to the rear of the car, butting up to a wrap-over glass rear liftgate, it caused an almost unbearable greenhouse effect to those inside the cabin.

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