Mercedes Vision One-Eleven EV concept straddles past and future

Mercedes-Benz has dreamed up a swoopy electric roadster concept that both nods to the past and peeks into the future.

The Vision One-Eleven is inspired by the C 111 series of experimental sports cars from the 1960s and '70s that served as a testbed for engine technologies and polymer body shells.

The design concept, unveiled at the Mercedes-Benz International Design Center in Carlsbad, Calif., features gull-wing doors, a low front and a muscular rear design anchored by a prominent diffuser.

Mercedes said that the deep orange paintwork, "tinged with a hint of copper," pays homage to the distinctive color of the C 111.

The brand's design boss Gorden Wagener described Vision One-Eleven as "beauty and the extraordinary united in one vision of the future."

"Our goal at Mercedes-Benz is not to do styling — our goal is to create icons," Wagener said in a statement.

While Vision One-Eleven's design pays homage to the past, its powertrain showcases technologies destined for production models. The concept features a high-efficiency motor technology developed by Mercedes' wholly-owned subsidiary Yasa.

Axial flux motors, also called "pancake motors," generate more torque, have fewer thermal management issues and use fewer materials — reducing overall weight and cost.

The axial flux motor is about half the size or less of a radial electric motor but increases power density by more than 30 percent and delivers a 5 percent range improvement, Yasa said. The motors will power Mercedes-Benz's AMG electric-only platform.

The Vision One-Eleven also carries a liquid-cooled cylindrical-cell battery technology. Mercedes declined to reveal details, but the automaker previously teased an AMG battery that features a thermal management system designed to ensure even heat distribution — critical to the power pack's performance and longevity.

Engineers have developed new iterations that are only millimeters thick to individually cool the lithium-ion cells in the battery. Coolant circulates from top to bottom through the battery, past each cell, with the help of a specially developed electric pump.

The thermal management system ensures the battery operates consistently at 113 degrees regardless of how often it is charged or discharged.