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Fore! Mercedes reveals Vision Golf Cart
Three-pointed star comes up with a ‘golf car' that embodies the Benz design philosophy in a vehicle fulfilling the functionality required by golfersPhil Mickelson may have stolen the limelight with his storming win in last weekend’s British Open golf tournament, but an interesting sideshow was provided by the Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart – the result of a contest inviting proposals for a golf cart of the future.
Although fulfilling all the requirements golfers have of a cart, the three-pointed star’s buggy remains true to the Benz design philosophy applicable to road cars.
“I was very inspired by the idea of designing a golf cart, giving it a new shape and new sorts of meaning,” said Mercedes-Benz design boss Gorden Wagener. “Why not treat a golf cart like a car, and making it a ‘Golf Car’?”
Earlier this year, Mercedes-Benz called upon golf and automobile fans from around the world to submit their ideas for a Mercedes-Benz golf cart of the future. A jury chaired by Wagener then selected the best entries from among all the submissions.
Building on the basis provided by these ideas and concepts, and with due consideration to the Mercedes-Benz design strategy, the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Centre in California developed the Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart.
As evident from the accompanying images, the Vision Golf Cart has the profile of a road-going vehicle and some immediately identifiable Benz design cues – including the grille and three-pointed-star logos on the wheel centres and headrests – yet in other respects it’s largely as per a conventional golf cart.
Propulsion comes from an electric motor powered by a battery that’s kept continuously charged by a solar module integrated into the roof. Manual charging, as for a conventional golf cart, is also possible.Where the Mercedes buggy differs from a regular golf cart is in that it’s steered via a joystick mounted on the centre console (rather than a steering wheel), enabling either passenger to drive the golf cart.
Among the Vision Golf Cart’s other surprise-and-delight features is the “fore button”, which can be used to quickly warn other players of a misguided shot. Pressing this button sends a warning to all other golf carts within the danger zone so that they, too, can issue a warning signal.
The cart offers iPad/iPhone connectivity and has a display integrated into the windscreen that can also be used, when the golf cart is stationary, to show the course layout, the current status of the game or weather information.
Thanks to its Pad/iPhone connection, it’s possible to communicate directly with the golf club, for example to order drinks or food for the halfway catering.
The interior takes its cues from the design of a Mercedes-Benz passenger car, with ergonomic seats that are ventilated and able to be adjusted electronically using the usual controls on the side of the seat.
In addition to its suitability to careering across the links, the golf cart is also able to run on normal roads as it’s equipped with indicators, headlamps and taillights. Thanks to the LED headlamps, play can also continue when the light starts to fail, as they include a floodlight function.
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Written byGautam Sharma
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