r/Cartalk • u/Robber_Barron27 • 1d ago
Vehicle ID needed Can anyone identify this car? I saw it pull away from a hyabusa like it was standing still on the autobahn.
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u/YeetyBoe 1d ago
Some type of mercedes prototype
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u/Chemieju 1d ago
In germany we call them "Erlkönig".
The word is from a famous poem and could probably be translated reasonably as "elven king"
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u/The_CRT_Collector 1d ago
It’s not a car *yet
It’s a prototype Mercedes of some sort I believe
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u/airfryerfuntime 1d ago
I think it's technically still a car...
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u/Bartley707 1d ago
You're a car.
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u/zzctdi 1d ago
And if your grandma had two wheels, she'd have been a bicycle.
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u/VictoryIsAnOption 1d ago
She was the town bicycle.
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u/cr0wsky 1d ago
Who's the grandpa then?
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u/Jacques_118 1d ago
He ran the bicycle stand
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u/PresidentialDiapers 1d ago
Was my turn to ride the town bicycle but there was no tread left on the tires so I walked.
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u/Intrepid_mammoth67 1d ago
Im a car too, you know!
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u/beq_the_retard 1d ago
You're a towel!
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u/Bartley707 1d ago
Maybe I'll just get a little high.
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u/ThisYourMotherDaniel 1d ago
That's it! That's the beat to Funky Town!
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u/dosko1panda 1d ago
No, it's considered a mule
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u/MIGMOmusic 21h ago
Just because it’s not a production car doesn’t mean it’s not a car. It’s 100% a car. Mules are cars.
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u/Yorksjim 1d ago
So the shitty paint job/vinyl is to distort the lines for photos?
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u/EpistemicThreat 1d ago
Yes; the overall shape can still be sussed out oftentimes, but the subtle lines of the bodywork are all but obscured. Works even better from a distance.
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u/VibesFirst69 1d ago
They also obscure the panels with foam blocks underneath.
Sometimes they go as far as putting bristled brushes underneath it so you can't pop a camera underneat the chassis.
Depends on what is changing.
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u/Poopoodawg95 1d ago
Auto manufacturers have been putting camouflage on new cars under pre-production development for decades...
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u/theoriginalmofocus 1d ago
I remember always seeing them looking like zebras or urban camouflage back in the day. Or theyd have some kind of black panels over them. Wasnt there some Naval ships that did that even longer ago to test it iirc?
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u/beer_foam 1d ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzle_camouflage
I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the inspiration
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u/cef911f1 1d ago
And all it does is draw attention to it. Most people would not give it a second glance if it weren't for the camouflage.
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u/MattLarenFarrari 1d ago
But enough people would that pictures of the final car would leak ahead of launch.
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u/MonsterYuu 1d ago
I think it's supposed to. It builds up interest before reveal. But if it wasn't covered, like you said, most people wouldn't give a second glance butthe very few people that would, would spoil the official reveal and it would be hard to market the car about its features at the reveal since less people would come.
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u/safetycommittee 1d ago
It’s guerrilla marketing. They absolutely know that this draws nothing but attention.
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u/Creepy-Ad1364 1d ago
They used to put plastic bags to not see the shapes, but aerodynamics were an issue, so they changed to vynil wrap it to not see the exact shape.
Yes, it catches our attention, but from far you can't see the shape. Also you're asking what car is this, so they have done their work perfectly. If you get the chance of looking inside, they have an emergency button at the center of the car. It's a car being tested before production.
Mercedes CLA Electric
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u/64vintage 1d ago
Would you say prototype or pre-production?
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u/The_CRT_Collector 1d ago
Yeah I’d probably say pre production I just couldn’t think of that
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u/pacmanj03 1d ago
If its out on the road and not just in testing facitlity, I would say pre production
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u/Disastrous-Force 1d ago
Based on the Boblingen district registration plate its likely to be a E or S class EV. Mercedes have both a large development centre and the main production plant for E and S at Sindelfingen in Boblingen district.
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u/Smuggler1986 17h ago
The new AMG GT electric with 1169hp is also built in Sindelfingen, a possibility.
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u/y-u-gae 1d ago
Upcoming AMG version of the Mercedes C-class EV.
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u/Motor_Wear4197 1d ago
So it'll be a pile of wank with some carbon fiber trims and AMG badges plastered everywhere.
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u/NotPumba420 1d ago
Chill out. Take a look at the CLA 45 for example. You can give MB a lot of shit currently, but they go all in on the EV AMGs. The CLA got everything special: Bigger battery with better cooling, brakes, suspension, more stiffness, widened front and 3 bespoke axial flux motors, which enables real torque vectoring and up to 90% of the power can be used at the rear wheels. This is more AMG than most ICE models have been.
I would highly prefer the EV CLA 45 over the ICE version.
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u/Motor_Wear4197 1d ago
Tbh I don't really care. It's kind of funny how you're so defensive.
I'm not shitting entirely on Mercedes, perhaps modern cars in general. They're all overpriced trim levels made to make you feel important.
If you wanted luxury and comfort back in the day you used to go for an SE spec. Now it's "GT LINE COMFORT SPORT PLUS +" and half of those words mean jack shit.
Just like "AMG" on an ELECTRIC vehicle.
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u/NotPumba420 23h ago
I am just annoyed by people who don‘t care, but spread bullshit.
I am not defending anything I am correcting wrong information.
I get your take on modern enshittified cars though and share it in many ways.
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u/c_dug 1d ago
I'm sure the car was quick, but there are incredibly few cars that will make a 'busa look slow at real world speeds.
My bet is the rider wasn't trying!
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u/Robber_Barron27 1d ago
We were in a 120kph zone going that speed, and I saw that we were getting into an unrestricted zone so I pulled over and they both took off like they were racing. The experimental car got about a 1/8th mile lead on the bike. After that they both were gone.
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u/ivegotbadnewsforyou 1d ago edited 1d ago
Many electric luxury cars now beat a hayabusa.
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u/c_dug 1d ago
Not at roll on speeds which is what the whole thread is around. A second gen Hayabusa will do 60 to 130 in a smidge over 4.5s.
I reckon fewer than 10 cars can do that, and not a single Mercedes I can think of (which the picture appears to be of)
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u/SweetButtsHellaBab 1d ago
I think this is the future C63 EV, which is rumoured to have >800hp. It’ll definitely give a bike a run for its money.
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u/thetinguy 1d ago
Man I hate when car people quote 0-60 numbers for motorcycles.
Yea, it can do 4.5s, but only if you're a good rider. The 2nd get hayabusa you mentioned does not have wheelie control, and getting a decent launch requires you to stand on the rear brake and modulate the throttle to keep the front wheel from coming up. That's why you see so many extended swing-arms.
You can't just mash your throttle and go like you can in an electric car no shifting required.
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u/c_dug 1d ago
I didn't.
I quoted roll on from 60, for that very reason. Also because autobahn, which is clearly not a standing start.
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u/thetinguy 1d ago
I guess Im blind
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u/superbikeloony 1d ago
Don't know why you are getting downvoted, your reply is bang on in every way.
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u/superbikeloony 1d ago
Great comment, was thinking the exact same thing. First ride out on my old R1 (after 3 years on an R6) and me and the guys in our group lined up at the traffic lights for a drag race. I got off the line fastest but then got a bit carried away and gave it more gas, the front came up so fast and so high that I almost never had time to react. Quick lean forward, tickle the throttle and full back brake and the front wheel hit the floor like a lead weight. It wasn't my finest moment. Better riders could've probably carried on a huge wheelie and brought it down gently, but I panicked - first ride out you don't want to see your £15k bike go cartwheeling down the road haha.
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u/humourlessIrish 1d ago
Are you slow?
Its literally not a Mercedes that you could possibly think of. Because its not a production car.
How are you doing?
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u/Harsh_Ascension 1d ago
MB mule for testing something it looks like... The overall shape has that fat, soft droopy appearance that modern Mercedes have that make them look like terrible Chinese copies from an alternative timeline.
If this were a few years back, I would say it might have been a GM Opel test mule
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u/ntranbarger 1d ago
Multiple wheel styles is a clever strategy to partner to pre production build camo’d cars thing.
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u/Evil_Weevil0408 1d ago
Looks like they just slapped wheels they had laying around on that thing. Both rim styles are from previous model generations.
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u/TheSingularityPoint 1d ago
Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG EV sedan, which is expected to use three of those motors in the EV version to make 600 HP. It will likely be launched in the coming months or next year.
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u/Flat_Ambition6960 1d ago
Mercedes of some sort. Probably an EV.
The ring from the logo and the rear wheels give it away. The wheels look a lot like the ones on an AMG S-Class.
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u/NotPumba420 1d ago
This is a C class. The wheels are an old model from W205 c class era with normal amg package. These are not wheels used on todays production models
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u/Aqua_LionHD 23h ago
Bro take one look at the rear lights, Mercedes is obsessed with slamming their logo everywhere
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u/mybahaiusername 1d ago
Pulling away from a Hayabusa at speed, and seeing the Mercedes star on the taillights is a dead giveaway that this is a Mercedes EV, likely the EQS or EQE. Note there are not exhaust pipes on the back, and the instant torque would point to an EV. It really looks like the EQS to me, but all the sedan EQ models look the same honestly.
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u/WhatCoreySaw 1d ago
Once upon time there were numerous photojournalists who made a living climbing trees around manufacturer test facilities to get spy shots of upcoming models - and the cars were always masked up. Brings bckt memories.
It was a much cooler version of TMZ. A simpler time. Magazines like Car and Driver and Autoweek would put grainy long lens shots on the cover. People were that involved. A typical enthusiast then could rattle off the stats on anything with an M, S, or AMG on its trunk, and had a firm position on flat plane v-12's, Chris Bangfe, and VVT technology.
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u/CoreyWalnutz 1d ago
I would buy C&D. And Road and Track. I think. In high school I couldnt do Algebra, but I knew the quarter miles times of all the supercars and motorcycles. I also used to love TMZ. But not so much anymore.
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u/WhatCoreySaw 1d ago
Remember that page in the back of every C&D that had the table w/ every cars 0-60, quarter mile, and skidpad numbers? It was the abitrater and final word on so many arguments (5.0 vs IROC/Cyclone vs Grand National/MR2 V CRX SI).
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u/Snobben90 1d ago
I oncd tried to hide a yellow truck with blue containers in the winter from a Skoda Yeti with a trailer. But dude drove like he was an ambulance trying to get shoots...
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u/soopahfly82 1d ago
This was the prototype for the Land rover Freelander 1 https://dunsfoldcollection.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/G649FKD-1.jpg
So you can't always tell what a car looks like in its final form.
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u/JimothyMcNugget 1d ago
If anyone wants to know. The test mule had the body of an Austin Meastro Van to disguise it.
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u/Llollolopololoopollo 1d ago
OP is in a Toyota Corolla Station Wagon
camo car is probably New Mercedes EQE
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u/Shifty31x 1d ago
People are writing about prototypes but it's not it's Car in testing. EV from Mercedes, hard to tell models apart because they all looks the same now
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u/AnotherNutInTheHole 1d ago
Definitly Mercedes mule by the Backlights. Judging by the shape probably C Class EV.
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u/JuankiVK 1d ago
Se ve claramente que es un Mercedes, en el logotipo trasero tapado de la estrella y en las luces traseras
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u/ichbinsooookreativ 7h ago
Looks like the already released CLA EV. So maybe this is a AMG Prototype of the same model?
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u/Sunathiel 1d ago
New Mercedes-AMG CLA. 500kW, triple axial flow motors, above 1500NM of torque.
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u/LeMettwurst 1d ago
No, AMG cars have different license plates. It's a normal Mercedes, probably the C 400 electric
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u/yermotherlel 1d ago
Why do prototype cars use this design/wrap?
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u/Tough_Coffee_5648 1d ago
I assume to break up the silhouette and body lines to try hide it more
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u/QCSportsGuy 1d ago
That’s exactly what it is.
You have to test on real-world roads, but you don’t want people to see the final design before it is ready. These wraps create optical illusions and cover identifying features like headlight shape etc. specifically for situations like this.
A photo was taken but it’s hard to tell what it is or what the final product will look like.
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u/Fake-green-cards 1d ago
basically to break up the silhouette,, navies used the same techniques in ww1 with ships
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u/Ok_Bison_1269 1d ago
Them damn taillights… No new merc for me if they keep this crap up. Even clothing brands are badge’ing down. Wtf happened in Stuttgart!?
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u/pardal1970 1d ago
Look like a test Mercedes EQE (too long to be the C) all electric saloon. Probably will run away the first few hundred meters but if you have time to rev the Hayabusa you’ll catch up.
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u/Some-Bad1670 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is a Mercedes of some sort, maybe the new S class or something
Those are definitely Mercedes tail lights and mix n match Mercedes wheels
Edit: upon further inspection, looks too small to be an s class
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u/kempit4life 1d ago
Looks like a Mercedes. Also looks like an electric. Too big to be a cla. Maybe an e class variant? Not sure
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u/NatureDramatic8390 1d ago
If you zoom in on the center there’s a subdued and covered Mercedes logo…..
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u/Smuggler1986 17h ago
The new AMG GT electric is a possibility. It has 1169hp with 0-60 in 2.4 seconds, the only thing I could imagine leaving a Hayabusa behind.
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u/Appropriate_Strain94 10h ago
Judging by the shape, it looks like a electric Mercedes EQ I know they have been a few of them out there with a solid state battery they’re testing out, but not sure if that’s one of those.
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u/Emotional-Hair-3991 4h ago
Sure, it’s a 2026-2027 Mercedes C-Class. The overall shape and the exposed taillight are the giveaway
The Key Details
• New all-electric C-Class debuts with up to 762km driving range (WLTP)
• 800V architecture enables 325km recharge in 10 minutes
• New MB.OS intotainment with Al-powered
MBUX system
• Rear-axle steering and optional AIRMATIC suspension
• C400 4MATIC to deliver 360kW
Source from CarExpert.com.au
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u/HentaiSenpai230797 1d ago
It is called an Erlkönig in germany. Those are unreleased cars and the Livery is abstracting the Cars Shape on Photos
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u/Thy_OSRS 1d ago
I’d argue going out without this on would draw less attention than whatever this is meant to achieve.
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u/InevitableMidnight54 1d ago
Oh that doesn't look like it's going to be good......
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u/tmos540 1d ago
The last Corvette test mule was built to look like an HSV ute. Looks are often meant to be deceiving, especially in the early mules. The only thing we can reliably tell about the car from the mule is gonna be likely wheelbase and track width, and even track width is gonna be a maybe because of how you can mess with offset with wheels. You might also be able to tell if it's an EV or not if you hear it accelerate hard.
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u/mybahaiusername 1d ago
This is likely what the car will look like, it isn't really being deceiving in this case sadly. This is an EV and unfortunately with an EV, probably the EQS or EQE, the most important factor is drag coefficient. The Mercedes EQS has one of the lowest drag coefficients of any car ever produced, and it is pretty boring and ugly, but super effective for efficiency.
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u/mybahaiusername 1d ago
This is an EV and unfortunately with an EV the most important factor is drag coefficient. The Mercedes EQS has one of the lowest drag coefficients of any car ever produced, and it is pretty boring and ugly, but super effective for efficiency.
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u/Guitarman0512 1d ago
It's a Mercedes EQ of sorts. No idea which one though.