[Osiris]

The Mercedes GLA concept shows blue "laser" headlights on the vehicle and I've read a variety of articles speculating on its functions. Some writers have suggested that the headlights can actually project content from the infotainment center. So..I can watch movies...on my headlamps? I don't understand.

 

[Chewie]

I think they're actually more like projectors than screens, but either way I wouldn't expect these on the production model. Apparently they were supposed to be able to project navigation cues, like arrows, on the road to guide the driver and tell other drivers what you're doing.

 

[Osiris]

So I can park in front of a wall and have my own drive-in theatre, essentially? That's fantastic. I want it.

 

[Chewie]

Ya they were supposed to be able to grab media from any source (smartphone, Internet, HDD) and use a laser-beam projector to play videos, pics, music, etc. Plus you can use the two HD cameras that are supposed to come with the GLA as a source as well.

 

[Osiris]

There's no way this will make it to production. Those projectors will overheat and people will go blind from everyone driving laser pointers. I think Mercedes got a little too excited with the GLA Concept and its laser projector headlamps. What's going to happen in bumper to bumper traffic when you're beaming a laser map on the back of the car in front of you and everyone inside that car turns around and blinds themselves thanks to your inability to navigate? Cool idea, but I don't know how it could be executed properly.

 

[Chewie]

The headlights were actually supposed to feature a cooling system made of a bunch of fans. But yeah, I agree, it wouldn't work out on the road. Plus the whole censorship argument comes into play (projecting inappropriate videos or explicit material in a public forum via your car's headlights).

 

[Osiris]

This reminds me of Smart's forstar concept. The forstar featured a projector mounted on the hood that connected to smartphones via Bluetooth. You could also mount your phone on the dash and sync with a bumper mounted camera for a complicated new and digital rearview mirror.

 

[butterfield]

the thing about concepts is that engineers like to make things because they can not because their needed. So we often get these gorgeously over the top features that seem like sex initially but the more you get to thinking about practicality the more you realize what your looking at is borderline insanity.

In most cases..

 

[Osiris]

Hey, a girl can dream right?

 

[alcatraz]

Does anyone ever get to actually buy and take home the concept car, or does it stay company property? Maybe only the head engineer gets to take it out when he wants to.

 

[butterfield]

Does anyone ever get to actually buy and take home the concept car, or does it stay company property? Maybe only the head engineer gets to take it out when he wants to.

Sometimes they show up at auctions years and years later, but typically they get buried in the basement or a Museum. Becasue of the high dollar input costs they usually aren't destroyed, on the rare occasion they end up in a private collection. But most concepts aren't road legal, some dont even have engines or transmissions

 

[alcatraz]

Sometimes they show up at auctions years and years later, but typically they get buried in the basement or a Museum. Becasue of the high dollar input costs they usually aren't destroyed, on the rare occasion they end up in a private collection. But most concepts aren't road legal, some dont even have engines or transmissions

Very interesting... So concept cars don't even have engines some times? They really are more of an idea.

Jay Leno has probably hoarded them all away.

 

[butterfield]

Very interesting... So concept cars don't even have engines some times? They really are more of an idea.

Jay Leno has probably hoarded them all away.

exactly sometimes concepts are used to set the design language for the entire range of vehicles a maker produces, Its interesting becasue you can see the trickle effect working on even the lowest end of models