Meet the retrofuturistic jet-fuelled Mercedes streamliner

If we’re to believe 1960s futurists, by 2040 we will live in a world where our post is delivered by jetpack mailmen, consume three-course meals via a pill and holiday in space hotels. But what would we drive? Well, if the Sixties are to be believed: flying solar-powered autonomous cars. Even now, that seems a bit far-fetched. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Calibri} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} So South Korean designer Minwoong Im has looked into his crystal ball to come up with 2017’s vision of a car from 2040. And it just so happens to be a Mercedes.

It’s a retrofuturistic streamliner influenced by Merc’s 1955 W196R, a car that was influenced by WWII fighter jets. The 2040 Streamliner blends old-fashioned styles with futuristic technology thanks to the flowing, shrink-wrapped 50s lines with a suitably ahead of its time, dual jet-powered engines. 

That’s about as much information as we have for now. But if the future holds an air-powered, graphene-bodied Mercedes LMP1 car with 3D printed tyres in 2030, and a streamliner Silver Arrow in 2040, we don’t want to wait for the future. We want it now.