The lesser-known Mercedes supercar is making a comeback.
Mercedes-Benz has started a teaser campaign for an all-new concept sports car that it says will share the spotlight with the C 111. The campaign began with two sets of images and a short video showing a digital grille illuminating the name One-Eleven.
The teaser images don't reveal much, apart from LED lights at the front and rear in a pixelated design. We find the orange exterior hue quite interesting, if only because the Germans have a history of being pragmatic when choosing colors for their concept cars. For reference, see the Mercedes Vision AVTR Concept and its wild illuminated wheels but arguably dull matte gray exterior.
The color you see here appears to be a throwback to the orange color Mercedes chose to showcase the C 111 at global motor shows.
https://twitter.com/MercedesBenz/status/1668932501660680196
The C 111 was not just one car, however. It was a series of vehicles produced in the 1960s and 1970s. Mercedes was trying to build a successor to the famous 300 SL Gullwing and went through various iterations of the car, after which it decided not to build it.
Mercedes first opted for a mid-mounted three-rotor Wankel engine, but the C 111-II had a turbocharged diesel. In the end, Mercedes only built 16 C 111s, using mainly rotary and diesel engines, though one V8-powered model was reportedly also produced.
Looking at the teaser video, it's clear that One-Eleven's design will be inspired by the C 111-II. That much is clear from the round lights, an obvious throwback of similar items on the 1970s car.
Mercedes-Benz's chief design officer also shared an image of the old car, calling it “the face of a front runner.” According to Gorden Wagener, the “timeless C 111 is ready to inspire a new era of iconic luxury.”
As you might know, Mercedes-Benz never built a mid-engine supercar, so fans had to wait decades for the brand to introduce the Mercedes-AMG One. The 300 SL Gullwing eventually got a successor in the shape of the Mercedes-AMG SLS and the GT.
Is Mercedes teasing its first production electric sports car? It built an electric version of the SLS, but that car was way ahead of its time. Now that Mercedes is electrifying all the things, it might build a rival to the Maserati MC20 Folgore electric supercar. It is a new niche, and one many supercar makers will join in the coming years.
Mercedes might even have given us a not-so-subtle hint. As you can see, one of the taillights shows what appears to be an “H,” or the basic layout of an electric vehicle with a dual-motor setup. We're a bit stumped with the “H,” but the “243” next to it could point to a theoretical top speed or maybe a motor output in kilowatts.
As a top speed, it would make the One-Eleven slower than the current EV record-breaking machine, the Rimac Nevera. But the latter costs millions, and Mercedes doesn't play around in that arena often.
For a car like this to work, Mercedes would have to compete with the previously mentioned Maserati and even wildcards like the Rolls-Royce Spectre and Bentley's unnamed EV that will produce twice the power of the current W12 models.
We can't wait for Mercedes to take the wraps off this one because we're baffled.
Keyword: TEASED: Mercedes-Benz One-Eleven Will Revive C 111 Brilliance