Mercedes-Benz Bionic

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The Mercedes-Benz Bionic

The Mercedes-Benz Bionic was a concept car created by DaimlerChrysler AG under the Mercedes Group. It was first introduced at DaimlerChrysler Innovation Symposium in Washington. The bionic was modelled after a type of fish, the Ostracion cubicus (a boxfish), and also has 80% lower nitrogen oxide emissions with its SCR technology.

[edit] Engine and Performance

The Bionic is powered by a 103 kW direct-injection diesel engine that gives out around 70 MPG (~3.36 L/100 km). This engine also gives out around a total of 140 horsepower and a little over 221 ft·lbf (~300 newton metres) of torque @ around 1600 RPM. The Bionic can go from 0-60 in about 8 seconds and has a top speed of a little over 118 mph (190 km).

[edit] Design

The exterior design was modelled after the Ostracion cubicus, a tropical fish that lives in coral reefs. Mercedes-Benz decided to model the Bionic after this fish due to the fact that its rough scales were the ideal of things in cars like aerodynamics and rigidity, more notably the car body's cross-section. Other parts of the design include the fact that the rear wheels are partially fitted with plastic and that it's considered as a lightweight vehicle. Mercedes-Benz reported a drag coefficient of 0.19.^[1]