Mercedes-Benz create coolest golf cart ever

Presented at last weekend's British Open Championship in 2D form, the Vision Golf Cart was created by the Mercedes-Benz design department following an online competition earlier this year that saw input from hundreds of golf as well as automobile fans combined and refined to create the finished article - a golf cart of the future.

"The Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart has a refined, simplified yet functional shape that fits well into our 'Sensual-Purity' design philosophy. The flow shapes create a 'sculpture on wheels' impression", says Gorden Wagener, Vice President Design Daimler AG.

"I was very inspired by the idea of designing a golf cart, giving it a new shape and new sorts of meaning. Why not treating a golf cart like a car, and making it a 'Golf Car'".

Wagener chaired the jury that selected the best entries from the worldwide competition, with the winners receiving an exclusive invitation as VIP guests to the Open Championship, aka the British Open.

The Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center in Carlsbad, California, developed the Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart from the winner's submissions, incorporating the most frequently mentioned ideas and requirements were then incorporated into the design study that has now been presented.

The Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart and its innovative features
The Vision Golf Cart is electric, with the battery charged by a solar module integrated into the roof. Manual charging, as for a conventional golf cart, is also possible.

The vehicle is controlled via a joystick mounted on the centre console, making it possible for either passenger to drive the golf cart.

"It has the latest in modern technology. Using touch screen monitors, virtually all aspects of the cart can be controlled without extra buttons. Simplicity is the key. Intuition and pure form can maybe best describe the cart", says Margarete Wies, Head of the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center in Carlsbad, California.

The centre console also incorporates a speedometer and a multimedia panel that includes a rotatable docking station for an iPad or iPhone, and a USB interface. Loudspeakers, air conditioning (yes, it's a golf cart with air con!!), head-up display, music and communication systems are all controlled through this panel. The windscreen head-up display can also be used to show the course layout, the current status of the game or weather information.

One wish that came up time and time again, irrespective of country or language, was the ability to use a telephone. Thus, the cart features Bluetooth, allowing telephone calls to be made via the loudspeaker system while on the move.

The iPad/iPhone connection makes it possible to communicate directly with the golf club, to order drinks or other goodies for the '19th hole'. Mercedes-Benz added that the connection makes it possible to access current weather data, send e-mails, and even share the digital score card or photos from the golf game directly on social media channels.

A clever feature of the design is the "fore button" which can be used to warn other players of a misplaced shot. Pressing the button sends a warning to all other golf carts within the danger zone of a wayward shot.
Interior design cues come from Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. Ergonomically-shaped seats are heated, ventilated and can be adjusted electronically using controls on the side of the seat.

Mercedes' AIRSCARF neck-level heating system, first introduced in 2011 in the new SLK Roadster, is also a feature of the Vision Golf Cart design. The cart's integrated air-conditioning system ensures golfing comfort, even on a very hot or cold day.

The design also features optional lightweight doors, which can be simply clicked in if the weather turns. A retractable lightning rod is included for added safety in storms. In bright conditions, the windscreen can be darkened, while it also features wipers with rain sensors.

One very commonly expressed request from the international entrants to the competition was to have plenty of storage space. Thus, the Vision Golf Cart includes a boot underneath the stowage area for two golf bags, two dashboard compartments, as well as provision for golf balls, scorecards and sunglasses in the centre console.

Additionally, there is a small fridge fitted beneath the centre console, with temperature controllable cup holders between the seats. An illuminated vanity mirror was another request included in the design.

Perhaps most interesting of all the Vision Golf Cart's features is the ability to run on normal roads. Indicators, headlamps and tail lights have been included in the design, with the LED headlamps also including a floodlight function to enable those last few holes to be played in low light.

Although the Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart is only a design study so far, the response to the competition from around the world shows there are no doubt many players who would like to see the design become a reality on the golf course!