Mercedes Shows Off Shape-Shifting IAA Concept

By Adam Pockross - September 15, 2015

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It’s that Frankfurt time of year, and Mercedes is celebrating by launching their brand new concept car, the Concept IAA, aka, Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile.

The new IAA looks faster than a speeding bullet, and kind of like one too, thanks to the long and low classic styling and the body-color tinted windows (which we also saw in the driverless F015 Luxury in Motion concept).

Speaking of looks, Gizmag expects the “low, wide grille and neat headlamps [will] give hints as to the styling direction Mercedes will take in the future.” Which could be interesting, for sure.

But this concept is about much more than looks, it’s more so about Active Aerodynamics. When you get up to 50 mph, an eight-piece tail section extends up to 15-inches longer, which streamlines the profile. To improve airflow around the front wheels, front bumper flaps extend 25 mm forward and 20 mm back. And the rims go from a 55 mm inverted dish to dead flat.

It’s kind of like a real Transformer.

While it’s certainly Hollywood cool to be able to transform on the fly, there’s also a very practical reason for it: efficiency. The car has a minuscule drag coefficient of .19, so emissions are extra low, especially when the extra aerodynamics kick in.

So, what do you think? Are you ready for the future?