In this edition of De Vluchtstrook not one, but in fact four different cars pass by. Mercedes introduced the Vario Research Car (VRC) in 1995, a concept with four different body styles on one chassis. The study model was part of a broader vision of Das Haus.
Cars come in all shapes and sizes for different purposes. You often see that people have several cars in the driveway: a station wagon for daily use and a convertible for the weekend, just to name an example. Mercedes-Benz thought this could also be done differently and introduced the VRC at the Geneva Motor Show in 1995. The idea behind this concept was that you would never need more than one car. The VRC could be ‘converted’ into a coupé, station wagon, convertible or pick-up in an instant. This form of modular construction was completely new and revolutionary.
Technological testing ground
In terms of design, the VRC Concept fits perfectly into the Mercedes range of the 1990s. The coupe version is somewhat similar to the CLK in profile, while the station wagon has the C-pillar of the ML. Of course, the star is proudly on the nose. The rear lights, however, are reminiscent of those of an Opel Vectra. The upholstery of the interior can hardly do more in terms of colors and patterns nineties to be. For the time, however, the dashboard looked quite futuristic. For example, there is a central display in the meter house that gives a message when you drive too close to a predecessor or if you exceed the speed limit. The color screen on the center console contains a navigation system – revolutionary for the time – and an extensive on-board computer that provides information on, among other things, tire pressure and oil level.
There is no shortage of technological advancement in the PRC. Nowadays, these kinds of things are only commonplace in modern cars. The PRC also served as a guinea pig for ‘drive by wire’ technology. It is not known what kind of engine was in the PRC, but the driving forces were at least transferred to the front wheels via a CVT machine. Active Body Control also made its debut in the concept car. This active suspension later made its appearance in the CL. Testing this technology was not primarily what the PRC was created for, and neither were the gadgets in the interior. No, the different body styles on one platform formed it unique selling point of this study model.
A broader vision
You might think that Mercedes would suddenly start to earn a lot less when people only need one car, but a solution had been devised. The idea was that customers would not own the different body styles themselves. Instead, they had to drive to purpose-built service stations where the attachments were available for rent. There, the ‘superstructures’, as Mercedes calls them, could be changed in fifteen minutes. The system had a flexible design, so customers could decide for themselves how long they would need their desired variant.
Mechanics place the desired body on the chassis at the service point, after which a ‘soft close’ mechanism automatically tightens it. With eight mounting points, they are firmly in place. The ‘superstructures’ were made of CFRP, making them weigh between 30 and 50 kg each. Despite its lightness, this material was sturdy enough to be crash resistant. A central connector ensures that, for example, the rear window wiper of the station wagon version is connected to the car’s electrical circuit.
EXA was before
The idea of ​​’four cars in one’ has not found its way to the market at Mercedes. However, there was another brand that dared it: Nissan. The brand was even considerably earlier than Mercedes, because the EXA already appeared in 1986. The Nissan, primarily intended for the American market, was basically a coupé, but could be transformed into a targa, a convertible or by tinkering with the roof or tailgate. a car that with some imagination can be called a station wagon. The car was not very successful, but it is still special.
Nissan Exa