A Seafood Lover's Delight
Pretty? Well, maybe you'd find it attractive if you were a boxfish, the inspiration for Mercedes-Benz' Bionic Car, which was
unveiled at the Washington Conference Center in Washington, DC as part of DaimlerChrysler's "Impact on America" symposium in May. I was there, saw it with my own two eyes, and can attest that it's about as attractive as AMC's Pacer, but stimulating a car enthusiast's visual senses was hardly the reason Mercedes-Benz put this one together.
But designing a car after a fish? Why not? Mercedes-Benz's DaimlerChrysler cousin Chrysler Group once offered a car within its now defunct Plymouth division inspired by and named after the Barracuda. American Motors Corporation (AMC), which was eventually purchased by Chrysler Group, offered sports coupe buyers the Marlin. And what about the legendary Corvette Stingray or Mako Shark concepts that preceded and followed it?
Yes, there has definitely been precedent for fish inspired automobiles, but the boxfish derived Bionic Car is different. Where the Barracuda may have included
gill-like fender slats, and the Stingray a sleek profile ending in a pointed tail similar to the graceful, yet menacing looking aquatic creature, the Bionic Car appears nearly identical to its muse, even in colour. And to be honest, it's not the prettiest of fish.
But that's neither here nor there, because while the Stingray may have been a gorgeous automotive design it wasn't particularly aerodynamic. That's the interesting reality modern-day aerodynamicists have discovered, that the sleek, elegant lines of early sports cars didn't necessarily cut through the wind with the same efficiency as the boxy sedans of the same era.
Pretty? Well, maybe you'd find it attractive if you were a boxfish, the inspiration for Mercedes-Benz' Bionic Car, which was
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| Pretty? Well, maybe you'd find it attractive if you were a boxfish. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
But designing a car after a fish? Why not? Mercedes-Benz's DaimlerChrysler cousin Chrysler Group once offered a car within its now defunct Plymouth division inspired by and named after the Barracuda. American Motors Corporation (AMC), which was eventually purchased by Chrysler Group, offered sports coupe buyers the Marlin. And what about the legendary Corvette Stingray or Mako Shark concepts that preceded and followed it?
Yes, there has definitely been precedent for fish inspired automobiles, but the boxfish derived Bionic Car is different. Where the Barracuda may have included
 |
| The Bionic Car appears nearly identical to its muse, even in colour. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
But that's neither here nor there, because while the Stingray may have been a gorgeous automotive design it wasn't particularly aerodynamic. That's the interesting reality modern-day aerodynamicists have discovered, that the sleek, elegant lines of early sports cars didn't necessarily cut through the wind with the same efficiency as the boxy sedans of the same era.