I’m a huge fan of Mercedes’ “Vision” series of concept cars. The Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6 coupe and cabriolet variations are futuristic art deco masterpieces. You can think of them as cars a modern Jay Gatsby would drive. The new Vision Iconic features similar swooping lines, but a signature menacing black paint job. This Batmobile-like supercar is blacked out for a reason: the entire EV’s body is a solar panel.

“Inspired by the golden era of automotive design of the 1930s, this show car embodies the pure essence of Mercedes-Benz.”—Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer, Mercedes-Benz Group AG

The Vision Iconic evokes 1930s glamor with futuristic power

Mercedes yet again leaned into a retro-futuristic design with this 1930s/Art Deco–inspired car. But it also folded in elements from more recent vehicles, such as the grille that could be lifted straight off a W 108, W 111, or Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman. Unlike the Vision 6, the Iconic is unmistakably a Mercedes.

The 2016 Vision 6 series was a showcase of the latest technology at the time, featuring a four-motor electric powertrain with a reported 738-horsepower output. The Vision Iconic adds technology such as steer-by-wire and rear-wheel steering to keep up with the Tesla Cybertruck. But unlike the Cybertruck’s dystopian take on the future, the Iconic offers an opulent, artistic vision. Still, it retains old-school muscle and analog design in some key ways.

For example, the “hyper-analog” display features actual analog gauges. The 1930s-themed design culminates in a floating glass “Zeppelin” structure that frames the displays. Mercedes—the world’s first car company—is reminding the automotive world that it can still decide how the future looks.

The Iconic’s show-stopping central feature is the car’s photovoltaic-active paint. This not only gives the Vision Iconic its signature deep black color, but could also generate 7,450 miles of free range every year.

We’ve already seen Batman in a Mercedes-AMG Vision concept car, when Ben Affleck’s caped crusader used a gullwing Vision Gran Turismo as his daily driver in The Flash. Since then, Robert Pattinson’s Batman traded the Merc keys for his signature hot-rodded muscle car. But if anything can get Bruce Wayne back in a Mercedes-Benz, it’s the Vision Iconic.