With the conveniences of the 21st century and the appeal of pre-war racers, the EQ Silver Arrow is the latest concept from Mercedes – one that puts a high-tech spin on a 1930s Grand Prix race car…
T he Silver Arrow monniker dates back to 1934, when a Mercedes W25 motor racing team had to scrape the paint off their racer down to aluminum to save weight. They won the race, and the Silver Arrow legend followed.
This concept however is all carbon fibre, so it’s painted to look like aluminum. A blue brow of LED lighting surrounds the headlamps at the front, with additional blue elements lining the car’s side skirts. It appears blue seems to be the standard for signifying an electric vehicle – it’s also highly featured on BMW’s i3 and i8 models. The front driver display is a curved panoramic screen with back projection. If you put in two dollars, the screen can display a virtual ghost competitor, to give you someone to race against.
Instead of the V12 that powered the W125, this concept gets two motors, one on each axle. They’re powered by a floor-mounted 80 kWh battery with a claimed 560 kW and a range of more than 400 km per charge. Metallic covers hide part of the massive 26 inch wheels that are standouts with an astonishing 168 spokes on each wheel.
Inside, the interior is as luxurious as a Mercedes E-Class with the single seat looking comfortable enough to sleep in. Fine leather sweeps over the cockpit while a solid walnut finish covers the floor.
The on-board jukebox isn’t for your playlist – it plays your choice of engine sounds, from the sweet turbo V6 from the Mercedes F1 W09 EQ, to the crackle of the Mercedes AMG bi-turbo V8. The concept isn’t just a flex, either – many features will appear in Mercedes new electric brand, EQ. We can’t wait.
By Bill Varetimidis
For the full article grab the July 2023 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
