The future never seems far away in the world of motoring, but few concept cars leap quite so far into the future as the Mercedes Benz F015 – launched at the Las Vegas CES technology trade show recently.
And the F015 is not that far off being a reality at all.
As well as looking stunning – and like a very expensive science fiction film prop – this new Merc will be self-driving, and hopefully, unable to crash.
But while Mercedes Benz is keen to highlight the vehicle's ‘autonomous’ capabilities, there is still an element of the ‘automotive’ here.
Only on certain specialised roads would the car be able to be completely autonomous – or at least that's how the car's manufacturers see it. If or when all cars are imbued with such technology, traffic congestion should become a thing of the past (as long as no road-ragers seize back control from their car and start driving in a silly manner).
It should also make car travel a great deal safer.
The boffins at Merc are also – quite rightly – keen to point out that the new F015 concept (add 'Luxury in Motion' for the full title) is also about a complete change in motoring and in our lifestyles in general.
As the images of the car show, the inside will be more of a living space than somewhere to sit while your car is in motion.
A giant leap forward?
With licences for self-driving cars available in the USA, Germany, and soon the UK, it seems the world is gearing up for the incremental steps towards autonomous driving. But with the F015, there appears to have been a giant leap towards it.
But there may be some aspects of motoring that a beauty such as the F015 can't handle by itself; in the event of a breakdown, good old-fashioned vehicle recovery breakdown cover will still surely be required …
Breakdown Cover from 
