Mercedes F800 Style concept

We always get worried when we hear the F-moniker on a Mercedes concept: uh-oh, they're the wacky ones devised by engineering – more a piece of eccentrically-wrapped technology rather than a svelte showcar. But not this time. The F800 Style fulfils three roles: firstly, the styling previews the new CLS, due later this year, particularly the front face, grille and headlamp treatment. More importantly, it outlines a proposal for an elegant sister model to the CLS, a new compact four-door coup� of 4.7m, sitting on a long 2924mm wheelbase with a generous interior package. Lastly, the F800 Style showcases a modular rear-drive platform that could take either plug-in hybrid or else fuel-cell electric drivetrains – a not-unrealistic future scenario for automakers.

Seen on the first day of the show, the styling feels a little overwrought, with a lot of overlaying elements worked into one car. This is particularly true of the front end, which will be interesting, as, according to head of design Gorden Wagener, all future models will get this brand face, with the main grille surround pulled out from the surrounding surfaces, a bold horizontal grille bar in body color topped with chrome and the dominant Mercedes star in the center, plus an extra u-shaped grille woven in below.

The wheels are notable for offering a new take on a finned design. The five broad spokes are finished in matte black with a series of delicate fins woven in that direct air through the wheel. Inside the car, the theme is one of lightness and fine wood surfaces. Large areas are covered in a new look bleached driftwood-finish veneer that covers the center console, door armrests, seat backs, seat bases and steering wheel. Seat frames are in magnesium with a carbon fiber laminate across which resistant netting is stretched, giving a semi-transparent appearance. Finally, the steering wheel design provides another advanced link to justify the F-moniker: the lower part appears as an aircraft-type controller and the upper part as a conventional rim.