20 November 2010
By Robby Tyler
Now, what on earth, or for that matter not from earth have we got here?
It's the supercar.
It's a product of Merc's Los Angeles design studio, and they prefer to describe it as an 'Ultralight vehicle at one with nature.' The Biome was produced as part of the Los Angeles Design Challenge, taking part alongside the 2010 LA auto show.
Tell me more about the car...
In a nutshell, the concept is designed to integrate fully in to the ecosystem from 'dust to dust.' So they've concentrated on cleaning up the Biome's act, during production, over its lifespan, and at the time of its eventual disposal or recycling.
The Merc Biome is made from an ultralight material called BioFibre. It's an organic matter, which Mercedes claims is significantly lighter than metal or plastic, yet is supposedly more robust than steel. Testament to this is that the Biome weighs just 394kg, says Merc.
Mercedes also says that at the end of its serviceable life it can simply be composted or even used as building material. Imagine one of these doubling up as your downstairs loo.
What does the Biome run on then, moon-juice?
It is powered by a strain of biofuel called BioNectar4534, which the car stores in the BioFibre material of the chassis, interior and wheels. Mercedes claims the fuel emits nothing but pure oxygen. Which sounds completely at odds with conventional biofuels and the combustion process.
So, what to make of the Biome's design?
We see a great similarity to the 2005 Maserati Birdcage concept or perhaps a successor to Will Smith's Audi in iRobot. Or perhaps a new mouse design for your next Apple computer.
When can we expect to see the Mercedes Biome in our nearest showroom?
While the technology and research in the Biome is fascinating, we don't really need to tell you that nothing like this will be seen in the near future. Do we?
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