What the hell is this?
On the face of it, the Mercedes-Benz Biome looks like quite a futuristic two-seat sports coup?, but only when you read the designers' description of the car do you realise just how far fetched it is. Here's a taster: "...vehicles are grown in an ecologically sustainable nursery, using primarily organic materials." That's right, Mercedes reckons it'll be growing our cars in glasshouses before too long. Redefines the term 'green' I guess.
Any new technology?
Bear in mind that all of this is fantasy. The Biome is built around 'Symbiosis' technology, which in part means the car collects energy from the sun and stores it in an organic fluid called 'BioNectar4534'. Apparently Mercedes will even retro-fit this idea to real trees to boost their usefulness to the environment. Take that Mother Nature.
Then there's 'BioFibre', which is a lightweight material that can be grown. Allegedly it's stronger than steel, but lighter than today's synthetic materials.
Could it replace a current model?
No dimensions or performance stats are provided for the Biome, but it could be a Mercedes-Benz SLK of the future.
The Mercedes-Benz Biome is one of nine designs competing for honours in the 2010 LA Design Challenge.