Futuristic, sporty cars are cool. That much is settled. But not every car from the future needs to look like it escaped from Cyberpunk with RGB trauma. Retrofuturism is also very cool, and when done right, it looks timeless instead of trying too hard. Case in point: the Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic show car.
Unveiled in Shanghai last October, the Vision Iconic feels like Mercedes-Benz in the 1930s, if the 1930s were the year 2300. The first impression hits hard. One glance and you get echoes of the Batmobile from Batman: The Animated Series, a dash of classic Mercedes grand tourer, and a sprinkle of the first-generation SLK. It carries heritage confidently, without needing to shout about it. Or maybe it already did without us knowing?
The centerpiece is the chrome grille. It is unmistakably Mercedes-Benz, reinterpreted for an electric and digital age with illuminated elements and a proud upright star. It looks ceremonial, almost theatrical, and that is very much the point. This is not subtle transportation. This is a statement—like the Mercedes-Benz of yesteryears.
Step inside, and the mood shifts to what Mercedes calls hyper-analogue luxury. Think lounge, not cockpit. A continuous front bench seat wrapped in deep blue velvet sets the tone, paired with Art Deco influences, polished brass details, and mother-of-pearl finishes. The centerpiece of the dashboard is a floating glass structure dubbed the “Zeppelin,” blending analogue chronograph-inspired instruments with a pillar-to-pillar screen that feels more gallery than gadget.
Underneath all that elegance is serious future tech. Vision Iconic explores Solar Paint that could add up to 12,000 km (about 7,500 mileS) of range annually under ideal conditions, Level 4 automated driving to take the stress of driving, steer-by-wire—the natural next-evolution from power steering—for relaxed maneuvering, and neuromorphic computing that mimics the human brain to drastically cut energy use in autonomous systems. So, yeah. It is not just retro-futuristic aesthetically; it is futuristic in every way.
As if that were not enough, Mercedes-Benz even designed a capsule fashion collection to go with the car. Six outfits, Art Deco-inspired, matching the vehicle’s color palette and geometry, because apparently driving into the future also requires dressing for it. But of course!
There is no price. This is a show car. A sculpture in motion. It exists to remind us that Mercedes-Benz still understands elegance without chasing trends. I cannot get enough of it. For reasons I cannot fully explain, this car conjures drive-by imagery, noir gangster cinema, and old-school voice-over films where everything feels dangerous and deliberate. No idea why. It just does.
Images: Mercedes-Benz.