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Mercedes-EQ W114/W115 Indy Rendering Is Retro-Futuristic Design Done Right

Mercedes-Benz W114/W115 electric restomod 17 photos
Photo: lars_o_saeltzer via Instagram
2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 562022 Mercedes-Benz EQS production at Factory 56
The W114/W115 is one of the most easily recognizable Mercedes-Benz models ever made, with nearly two million of them produced by the German manufacturer during its eight-year lifetime.
If tales of their reliability are even half-true, then most of them must still be in working order. In fact, we'd be surprised if you haven't actually seen one on the street in the past month or so because the other defining trait apart from reliability was how widely available the model was throughout the entire world.

The appearance of the W114/W115 was probably made even more famous by its obvious resemblance to the Mercedes-Benz 600 "Pullman", a limousine that was used by celebrities (from Elvis Presley to Jay Leno) and political leaders alike (from Mobutu Sese Seko to the Pope, if the latter can qualify as such).

With restomodding picking up pace in later years as more and more people want to enjoy classic cars without compromising on the features, comfort, and safety offered by modern vehicles, you'd think the Mercedes-Benz W114/W115 would make a prime candidate. Well, sportier and flashier cars tend to be the preferred choice, but if someone happens to have one of these lying around, why not give it a try?

That would be the "civilian" option, but what you see in the picture above (and below) would be the official, Mercedes-Benz-backed option. It is what would happen if the carmaker decided to bring back the spirit of the classic model through a modern reinterpretation. And since Daimler is caught up in a full EV offensive, giving it an electric powertrain would totally make sense.

We don't know about you but if this thing came to life, based on design, at least, we would happily choose it over the EQS. Provided it gets all the tech and all the range of Mercedes-Benz's top EV, it would be a no-brainer. However, just by looking at it, we can already tell you there is no way the EQW (we just came up with that. We like it. We'll stick with it) could ever have the same range as the EQS.

By trying to remain as faithful to the original as possible (and succeeding), the author - Instagram user lars_o_saeltzer of Larson Design - had to sacrifice a few things, among which are the all-important aerodynamics. The EQW looks cool with its late '60s vibes and modern lines, but it's still shaped mostly like a brick. As a result, the air will be reluctant to go by it in an orderly fashion, thus creating drag. Drag hampers efficiency, poor efficiency drains the battery and before you know it, you end up on the side of the road with no more juice in the tank.

It's clear (and understandable why) Mercedes-Benz has gone down a much different road regarding its EQ models, but it's nice to be able to see things from a different perspective every now and again, for which we are very grateful to these talented people who sacrifice some of their time to delight us with their creations. Keep it up, guys, the world appreciates it.

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Editor's note: Mercedes-Benz EQS featured in the photo gallery

About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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