Mercedes Chronos Digital Comes From A Dystopian Future Looking Strange

What does the future hold for Mercedes? If you had asked us a few months ago, we would have told you that probably more and more EVs, as the brand slowly transitions to a zero-emission future.
 

However, with electric vehicles becoming less popular in markets that matter, several car manufacturers have been forced to rethink their EV-only strategy. Therefore, the three-pointed star brand likely cares more about ICE-powered machines today than it did last year. If this trend ends up dictating the route for tomorrow’s car world, then we should expect internal combustion-powered machines to stick around for way longer than anticipated.
 
Automakers keep releasing strategies that envision where they might be in the near future. However, sticking to those plans is often tricky, as what consumers favor today may not dig at all in a few years. Crossovers and SUVs seem to be here to stay in bulk, and we certainly see high-riders in every company’s future plans, including Mercedes. Sure, the Stuttgart company may have taken the EV game so seriously that it now has an all-quiet G-Wagen in its lineup, but further down the line, things might look very different.
 

Between us, no one knows what the automotive world will look like 10, 20, or 30 years from now, and if you say flying cars and self-driving vehicles, remember that people used to say the same 10, 20, or 30 years back. We certainly expect huge leaps in fuel economy, oomph, technology, safety features, and designs, with the latter category likely comprising some wacky builds. After all, there are plenty of controversial-looking machines today, and we don’t see why there won’t be more in the future.
 
Case in point, meet one Mercedes virtual design study that seems to have time traveled. Its digital maker, Hassan Elbaya3 on Behance, has imagined it with unique styling traits that make it look like a pod ready to explore other worlds. There is nothing that screams Mercedes anywhere, save for the usual logos added to the car’s front and rear ends. It has a pointy nose, a unique roofline, bespoke side panels, a ginormous wing at the rear, and an intricate lighting signature all around.
 

For what it’s worth, the so-called Mercedes Chronos Concept looks like a mix between a restomod-ish hot rod and a Renault Twizy, with a few special effects. The generous ground clearance and trick suspension setup make us want to use the word SUV. A look inside would have been welcomed, though this is where the pixel manipulator decided to call it a day. Thus, you won’t see what their idea for the virtual car’s cockpit is. Well, at least not in these renderings.
 
So, do you think the digital artist could be on to something with this project? Do you wish something like this existed? Comment below and tell us what you think about this ride.