2005 NAIAS: Mercedes-Benz Vision R Concept Makes North American Debut
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Grand Sports Tourer Showcases New Luxury Vehicle Concept
DETROIT, Jan. 9 -- Mercedes-Benz is holding the North American debut of its Grand Sports Tourer Vision R concept car during news media activities preceding the North American International Auto Show, open to the public January 15-23 at Detroit's Cobo Center. With a sharp focus on performance, handling and safety, the Grand Sports Tourer Vision R combines the distinct advantages of several disparate vehicles -- the comfort and style of a luxury vehicle, the performance and handling of a fine sports sedan, along with the versatility and all-weather traction of a sport utility. Offering impressive comfort, versatile interior room and lots of practicality, the Grand Sports Tourer Vision R is equally suitable for family, recreational and professional use. Useful technology and innovative design now make possible an automotive decathlete -- a vehicle that excels at an unprecedented range of owner needs without sacrificing aesthetics.
Three Rows of Luxury
Evolving from a concept first presented in 2002, the long-wheelbase Grand Sports Tourer Vision R is designed as a roomy six-seater -- three pairs of comfortable single seats finished in leather, in a spacious interior trimmed with aluminum and olive ash wood. The individual seats in both rear rows can each be folded down, and dual sourced flat-screen monitors built into the back of the front head restraints provide entertainment for passengers.
The long-wheelbase show car is about the length of an S-Class. As a dramatic indicator of comfort and roominess, the spacious interior of the Vision R boasts 34 inches between the first and second seat rows, and there's more than 30 inches between the second and third rows!
The cockpit of the Grand Sports Tourer Vision R features large chronometer gauges housed in aluminum cylinders that are angled slightly inward -- reminiscent of classic sports racing cars -- and the center console houses climate control and a COMAND unit that integrates audio, navigation and telephone operation.
The Vision R show car comes with a five-liter V8 producing 302 hp, full- time 4MATIC four-wheel drive, a seven-speed automatic transmission and air suspension.
Innovative ALU-BEAM Paint Looks like Polished Aluminum
The Vision R show car is finished in a newly developed ALU-BEAM paint that looks more like polished aluminum than traditional silver paint. Mercedes-Benz is the first automaker worldwide to use this innovative process, which makes use of 100 to 300 nanometer pigments to create the realistic metal-finish effect. The company intends to develop the new paint technology for eventual use on production vehicles.
About Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. In 2003, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 218,717 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving ten consecutive years of sales growth. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found on the Internet at http://www.mbusa.com/ and http://www.maybachusa.com/.
