In 1969 Mercedes-Benz built the coolest car ever to turn a wheel - the fabulous C111 experimental prototype. At least that is what my 7-year-old mind thought when I got a Matchbox model of one many years later...
The C111 was a super-aerodynamic testbed that was powered by a range of engines - everything from a five-cylinder turbo diesel to a turbocharged V8, with its original engines being three- and four-rotor rotaries. Only 16 were ever built and none were sold to the public; they were for Mercedes-Benz testing only.
But unlike most experimental testbeds, the C111 wasn't an ugly mish-mash of whatever worked best with no regard for styling. At least not initially - the first C111 was gorgeous, with a distinctly 70s wedgy shape (albeit with more soft edges than most other designs of the era) and gull-wing doors.
Mercedes would revive the concept in 1991 with the C112 it introduced at the Frankfurt motor show sporting a V12 engine and actually intended for production. But after accepting more than 700 deposits for the supercar, the company changed its mind and cancelled the project.
But now it is back again, in spirit at least, with the stunning Vision One-Eleven concept that was revealed recently at the German company's International Design Centre in Carlsbad, California.
Taking as many design cues as it wants from the C111, the One-Eleven modernises the wedgy 70s aesthetic, reinterpreting it in line with Mercedes' current "one-bow" design language seen on its most recent EVs - the EQE and EQS.
The current curvy cab-forward look is evident in the One-Eleven, and if you had no idea of its retro-inspired origins, it appears every inch a cutting-edge modern supercar concept.
And that modernity continues under the slinky exterior, as the One-Eleven is powered by axial-flux electric motors designed by Benz subsidiary YASA. Unlike the radial-flux electric motors used in other Mercedes-Benz EVs, the axial-flux units are more "power dense" so can be much thinner than traditional electric motors, so by positioning them out closer to the wheels allows for an extremely low profile.
In fact, the One-Eleven is only around 50mm taller than the C111, but is also remarkably roomy inside, thanks to the lack of intrusion from more bulky electric motors.
With four individual motors, the One-Eleven could theoretically pump out up to 1000kW. I say theoretical, because the One-Eleven is just a design concept, not a powertrain testbed like the original C111 was.
While the One-Eleven isn't destined for production, the YASA axial-flux electric motors most certainly are, with upcoming AMG vehicles likely being the first to use the new lightweight tech.
