Natural born thriller

Mercedes-Benz stunned the automotive world last year when it revealed its revolutionary Biome concept. The car grows like a plant, emits pure oxygen and is 100 per cent biodegradable. James Simons reports on the car Mother Nature would love to drive.

Imagine a world where cars emit nothing more than pure oxygen. Imagine a world where city streets are free from smog and other harmful pollutants. Imagine a world where environmentalists rave about four wheels instead of two. Imagine no more.

Inspired by nature, Mercedes-Benzs Biome concept car is designed to blend seamlessly into the ecosystem from concept to compost.

We wanted to illustrate the vision of the perfect vehicle of the future, said Hubert Lee, head of the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad, California. The Biome forms part of our earths ecosystem. It grows and thrives like leaves on a tree.

In what can only be described as pure science fiction, the design team at Mercedes-Benz set out its stall for the greenest car that there has ever been and quite possibly ever will be.

Revealed to the public at last years Los Angeles Design Challenge, its creators shocked and surprised in equal measure, taking the concept of automobile design and manufacture and turning it on its head.

The competition had called for the creation of a vision for a safe and comfortable two-by-two compact car featuring good handling and first class design, and weighing only 1,000lbs (around 454kg).

The results exceeded the brief and offered so much more besides.

Made from an ultra-light, ultra-strong material called BioFibre, the concept tipped the scales at just over 875lbs (around 394kg). But what was really remarkable was how the car was made or grown.

In short, the story goes something like this. A Mercedes three-pointed star, impregnated with DNA containing the spec of the car (sat nav, leather seats et al), is planted in a Mercedes nursery in a nutrient-rich substance called Bionectar. The Biomes body grows from the seed, taking just one day to mature into the finished product. The material, called BioFibre, is lighter than metal or synthetic composites, but stronger than steel.

And thats not all. The vehicle is powered by sunlight harvested from trees, creating a direct link with nature, produces oxygen, so improving air quality as it drives, and at the end of its service life, can be fully composted or used as building material.

Whichever way you look at it, its pretty remarkable stuff. But whats the process behind creating such a project? How do you take an ordinary brief and turn it into something extraordinary? More importantly, how do you fire up the imagination of the design teams, corporate suits and the watching public?

The Biome measures 4,020mm-long and 2,500mm-wide and features a four-seat cockpit laid out in a diamond shape, with the driver up front, flanked by two passengers in the middle further back and a single seat in the rear

Q&A with Steffen Khl, director Global Advanced Design, Mercedes-Benz Research Development Daimler AG

This is clearly an extraordinary (in many ways unbelievable) project. How did you go about convincing people of its credentials in other words, that it was worth pursuing?
The Biome project is a great example of how fascinated people react on an emotional and sensual level. We didnt have to convince anybody, neither our designers in the creative process, nor the public after the presentation there was pure fascination everywhere! The whole storyboard, from initial concept through to final 1:1 design (exterior and interior), is packed full of worthwhile credentials.

Obviously, there is a need for creativity at the design stage but this, I would guess, is tempered by whats available now i.e. existing technologies, manufacturing processes etc. Where was the balance in the project team (creative versus process) and when did this complement and/or conflict with the other?
The Biome is mainly a fictional design concept, of course. Creation and style adapted into a green future context. Nevertheless, most of our Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design projects are based on proven innovative, technical and creative fundamentals. Dont forget, all our studios have their own studio-engineers, closely linked to our development and design headquarters in Sindelfingen, Germany. So even the most innovative design projects are inextricably linked to the technical side including the thrilling and creative conflicts between both sides.

How did you build on the initial project brief you were given? What does the Biome concept represent what message does it send out to consumers, competitors, legislators etc?
The Biome project is based on the LA Challenge 2010 invitation. This included a number of environmental and conceptual presets. In addition, we tried to move much further with the whole futuristic idea of creation and production based on the will to harmonise nature and future transport. It was our intention to show how seductive and fascinating the environmentally-friendly car world of tomorrow can be (at Mercedes-Benz).

How did the project team share ideas and communicate effectively?
The Biome design-crew consisted of a crossover team within our Advanced Design Studio in California. From day one we gathered studio-engineers, stylists and modellers together to ensure that we had maximum creativity for all aspects of the project. After an intense phase of brainstorming, we concentrated on the best ideas and styles before moving into CAD 3D as quickly as possible. This was followed by a short design phase using clay-modelling techniques. The end result a 1:1 scale mock-up reconfirmed our belief in the original concept.

What lessons did you take away from the Biome project? For instance, how can we use the concept to improve future automotive design, construction, safety and performance?
The main lesson we learn by creating the Biome is consequent creation, which means to let the fantastic and fictional aspects be the most significant part of style and conception to step over borders and concentrate the result into a clever and disciplined process of innovative realisation.