Mercedes F400 Carving: forgotten concept (2001)
Posted on 19-10-2015 at 22:15 by dizono – 19 Comments”
In 1997, where Mercedes with the F300, a type of Carver One but the earlier, uglier and just as impractical. Thereto continuing to come in 2001 with the F400 Carving, a car that tilting wheels combines with a nice roadster body.
Mercedes has it in the ’90s a handful of very ugly conceptcars to build. No problem, as long as the one remains. Low point is still known as the F300 Life Jet in 1997. Just like at the Dutch Carver tilts the driewielertje the curve, though the two wheels at the front, where the Carver and the single wheel at the front. Those who do the same are the driver and the passenger: cozy one behind the other. So that your beautiful girlfriend can hear it but can’t see it. Not an ideal configuration.
In 2001 Mercedes-Benz with the F400 Carving, which, as its name suggests, to continue the F300 ceased. Was the F300 an ugly and impractical thing, the F400 is anything but that. Well, really, the roadster is not, but you are sitting next to each other and the whole thing looks –beware: personal opinion– fine.
Where the F300 it is still with motorfietsbandjes, there were Mercedes and Pirelli for the F400 special relationships develop. Half tire, half motorcycle tire, with a diameter of 19 inches on the outside, and 17 inches on the inside. That was necessary for the tilting mechanism of the ties. In a bend the outer wheel is 20 degrees to the inside tilted, causing a quite negative camber occurs. The outer wheels change than is actually in motorfietsbanden, both in terms of profile, roundness, as well as the compound. This one is a lot harder.
According to the manufacturer, this comes to stability and handling good, while the opportunity to be in a slip to hit is reduced. Up to thirty percent more lateral stability, which again ensures that the gas is there much more you can throw into a bend. Threatens to over – or understeer, then the car one of the wheels a small bit of lifting and in danger of elimination. Also, hydroplaning can be prevented by the wheels approximately five degrees. Therefore, the water can better be disposed of and retains the car’s contact with the road surface.
Promising technique, where Mercedes a lot of money and puts in the time. Although a mechanism as in the F400 Carving never make it to a production model kicks in, has the system been at the brink of Mercedes’ Active and later Magic Body Conctrol. The F400 see, we continue in the grilletje with druipneus back to the second-generation SLK, already gave the Vision SLA, a year earlier before a kick-off.
Gallery: Mercedes F400 Carving 2001
”
”