Mercedes-Benz unveils an Avatar-themed concept car

Mercedes-Benz has just pulled the wraps off of a wild new concept car that was inspired by the 2009 movie Avatar called the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR. The entire rear end of the AVTR is covered in 33 discrete scales or as Mercedes-Benz calls them, “bionic flaps” — that the company says could be used to communicate with people outside the car. It also has special spherical wheels that Mercedes-Benz says were inspired by the “seeds of the Tree of Souls” from 2009’s Avatar. These wheels can rotate so that the AVTR can move sideways, or even diagonally. Like all concept cars, the Vision AVTR is meant to tease out what it will be like to ride in a car of the future. The car starts with the lack of steering wheel. Since this futuristic car is obviously (theoretically) autonomous, there’s no need for one. Instead, passengers interact with the car through an oval-shaped controller that accordions up and out of the center console to meet your hand. Once your hand is on the controller, it (and the seats) can vibrate along with the pace of your breathing and heart rate.