Every vehicle has a mythical beginning at some point. Pencils and paper were used to begin the procedure in the past. Nowadays, computers are able to produce fictitious ideas with astounding accuracy, and in recent years, numerous automakers have produced digital cars for video games like Gran Turismo. The car shown here, though, isn’t for a video game. In fact, it lacks a name that is recognized officially.
It is simply referred to as a virtual show car by Mercedes-Benz, and as its name implies, it only lives online. It was developed as a part of a digital trilogy surrounding the 2022 League of Legends World Championship and is the automaker’s first entirely virtual vehicle. It also has something to do with the ongoing relationship between Riot Games, the developer of the well-known League of Legends video game franchise, and Mercedes-Benz.
Gran Turismo enthusiasts may be perplexed at this point as to why this is the first virtual display car. Not to be forgotten is the Mercedes-AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept, which was developed almost ten years ago and was playable in Gran Turismo 6. Mercedes did, however, really construct a physical example of the car, although no such plans exist for the virtual show car.
That might be because the show car doesn’t have conventional wheels. With a single passenger bubble in the center, digital wheel representations in the corners flow into the body. In order to push boundaries in the virtual world, Mercedes-Benz Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener describes it as a fusion of “actual automobile design and animation design.”
Not just this odd idea is the alliance between Mercedes-Benz and Riot Games. Starting on November 3 during the Worlds Final in San Francisco, the Mercedes EQS digital vehicle display will feature League of Legends design features. It will eventually change to an in-car gaming experience accessible via Merc’s digital MBUX system, which is available everywhere.
The real-life Summoner’s Cup trophy is currently being moved across the nation by a Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV in preparation for its presentation at the League of Legends Championship’s conclusion in early November.