Driving report: Mercedes F 300 Life-Jet

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Driving report: Mercedes F 300 Life-Jet

Driving report: Mercedes F 300 Life-Jet
Wankomat

Mercedes on a new path: The long-established company surprised with an innovative three-wheeler with roll control. At the moment, the Daimler-Benz board of directors is also wondering whether the F 300 should be built.

Axel Westphal

12/15/1997

Since the SLK and A-Class, the times when only older people with white hair and hats favored the Swabian renowned brand seem to be definitely a thing of the past. Even motorcyclists are now being targeted by Daimler-Benz as potential customers.
It is no coincidence that MOTORRAD was the first magazine to be allowed to take pictures of the research project F 300 Life Jet publish (see issue 20/1997), even before the car magazines of the Zwitter between car and motorcycle got hold of. In the meantime the testing has progressed so far that one dares to go public with the tricycle. Place of action: a potty asphalt surface at Munich Airport.
The fear that something unforeseen might happen drove the Mercedes men around project manager Gunter Holzel so much that they only brought out a test vehicle equipped with an over-roll cage, full of electronics and numerous measuring devices, for driving tests. Then the warning words: “Please do not drive faster than 70, preferably in third gear.” That sounds like adventure. What would happen?
Nothing world-shaking to anticipate. As if it couldn’t be otherwise, the F 300 leans nicely, by no means spectacularly, into the curve, immediately the front wheels begin to screech violently, a warning signal sounds. No, that doesn’t get a bit of adrenaline into a biker’s blood. The three-wheeler is very easy to drive, pushes over the front wheels if it goes too fast and leans into the bends all by itself. This is ensured by three computer systems that control each other. They give the commands to a hydraulic cylinder that sits at the front between the front wheels and is pressurized by a hydraulic pump. At the request of the computer, he adjusts the pivot points of the front suspension struts, the chassis and front wheels tilt into the curve. How much depends on the speed, the steering angle and the yaw behavior of the tricycle.
The service is also foolproof. The pedals are arranged like in a conventional car, only the sequential shifting of the five-speed gearbox, which sits on the right in the side wall, always needs a few seconds between gears. Apparently the electric / hydraulic activation is not working properly yet.
The seating position in the elongated cabin is quite comfortable, the all-round view is excellent. The acceleration is a bit disappointing. The high weight of the test vehicle of over 800 kilograms sets clear limits to the forward thrust of the 1.6-liter four-cylinder from the A-Class. In return, the tricycle decelerates first-class thanks to internally ventilated brake discs and four-piston calipers.
To be honest, the “new dimensions of driving dynamics” (quote from Daimer Benz), into which the live jet is supposed to penetrate, remain somewhat hidden.
But we don’t want to be unfair. Safety aspects naturally have the highest priority for a manufacturer like Daimler Benz. Just imagine: First driving reports would tell of adventurous inclines; an overturned three-wheeler can get Mercedes after the moose test really can’t do it again
But let’s continue: More sporty natures can elicit a different map from the software of the F 300 at the push of a button. The chassis, including the front wheels, then tilts more spontaneously towards the inside of the bend when turning, and in slalom bends there is even a bit of the feeling of being in a ship’s swing. On the subject of the lack of agility of the almost four-meter-long and 1.73-meter-wide vehicle: “In series production, the F 300 could be slimmed down to 600 to 650 kilos,” says project manager Holtzel.
The board of directors will decide this year whether series production is an option. In addition, a public survey is to be evaluated at the IAA. Preliminary conclusion: The Life-Jet cannot compete with the driving pleasure and dynamism of a completely normal motorcycle. More likely with the house brand SLK or other roadsters.

Technology: Mercedes F 300 Life Jet – Technokrad

There is a great deal of technical know-how in the F 300 Life Jet study from Daimler-Benz

The new concept has high standards: to combine the cornering dynamics of a motorcycle with the safety and comfort of a car. The consequence: a vehicle with a passenger cell that leans into a curve. Everything has been there before, claim skeptics. This is true insofar as the misunderstood genius Ernst Neumannn already built “Neander” three-wheeled curve tilters. However, in his and subsequent designs, as with a motorcycle, the driver causes the vehicle to tilt depending on the curve radius and speed. With the Life Jet, on the other hand, this has no influence on this. A so-called roll control forces the F 300 into an inclined position. For this purpose, the suspension struts of the front axle at the upper point of articulation are not permanently connected to the chassis, but rather mounted in swing arms that can move transversely to the vehicle. A rod connects the upper suspension points of the struts. If sensors signal cornering, a hydraulic cylinder moves the strut mounts, and the vehicle tilts to the side in the double wishbones of the front axle up to a maximum of 30 degrees. The headlights, which work with automatic cornering control, are also new. Behind the lens there are three reflector areas with two light bulbs. The upper part is used for the low beam, the middle for the fog light, and the lower surface bundles the high beam generated by an H4 lamp. An electric motor always turns the pivoted reflector into a horizontal position when cornering, depending on the angle of inclination of the body. In addition, the fog light then switches on, thus increasing the spread of the low beam to over 45 degrees. The developers also placed special emphasis on passive safety. The 1.6-liter four-cylinder A-Class is installed in the rear between the passenger cell and the rear wheel so that in the event of a rear-end collision it slides under the vehicle on the sloping rear wall of the chassis. The transmission with sequential gear selection ensures driving comfort. When you tap the shift lever forwards or backwards, the gears are shifted up and down on one level, similar to a motorcycle. The transmission does not take place mechanically, but electronically-hydraulically. These and other design efforts such as the aluminum passenger cell weighing just 89 kilograms or the tires specially developed for the F 300 culminate in an acceptable result: the Life Jet does not achieve the dynamics of a two-wheeler, but clearly surpasses the two-wheeler in terms of safety and comfort.

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