The physical world can be too limiting, leading Mercedes-Benz to reveal its latest show car exclusively in virtual form.
The brand has revealed its unnamed show car as part of the 2022 League of Legends World Championship, which runs from September 29 to November 5.
This virtual show car is a two-seater coupe of sorts with a bulbous design somewhat reminiscent of both the recently revealed Mercedes-AMG Vision AMG concept and the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR concept from 2020.
It also has an extreme concept-like look that’s similar to the Nike One 2022 concept from 2004, featured in the Gran Turismo 4 racing game.
Vision AMG concept 
Vision AVTR concept 
Nike One 2022 concept
The Mercedes-Benz show car has a slight blue hue and is transparent in some sections, allowing us to see the inner workings.
The wheels seem to be part of the same transparent structure as the car, so it’s unclear how they turn. They also have vertical headlights in them.
This Mercedes-Benz virtual show car was developed in partnership with League of Legends game developer Riot Games.
“When designing an extraordinary and virtual showcar, two worlds merge – real automotive design and animated design,” said Mercedes-Benz chief design officer Gorden Wagener.
“Because of the virtual space, there are no limits to what we can do, which means we can push boundaries and give our creativity the space for the unexpected. The result is something unique: the first all-virtual showcar from Mercedes‑Benz.”
It’s still unclear how this virtual show car will be implemented into the League of Legends video game at this stage.
League of Legends, often shortened to LoL, is a multiplayer online battle arena video game that’s widely claimed as one of world’s largest esports.
In the game’s main mode there are two teams of five players that battle each other, with the main objective of destroying the other team’s base. Players can also kill non-player characters to receive gold and experience points.
Some playable characters are able to pilot a vehicle, so there’s still be a potential implementation for this Mercedes-Benz show car in the game.
Mercedes-Benz has a long-standing partnership with Riot Games for the League of Legends World Championship that dates back to 2020. It has now been extended to 2025.
In 2021, the German carmaker designed a ring for the event’s winner. It has done the same for this year’s champions.
“Since establishing our partnership, it’s been inspiring to see how the teams across Riot and Mercedes‑Benz continue to fearlessly pursue opportunities to elevate and celebrate our sport,” said Riot Games global head of League of Legends esports Naz Aletaha.
“Whether in physical form, like our beautiful World Championship rings, or a virtual showcar, we are thrilled that our partnership extension reinforces our collective commitment to pushing creative limits that deliver exciting experiences to LoL Esports fans for the years to come.”
This isn’t the first virtual show car Mercedes-Benz has revealed, but it will be the first to not receive a physical counterpart.
AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept
Mercedes-Benz revealed the AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept in 2013 for the racing simulator video game Gran Turismo 6.
This Mercedes-Benz concept was the first Vision Gran Turismo car and was later built as a real-life show car that was shown off at the Los Angeles motor show in 2013.
Other automakers such as BMW, Volkswagen, Mazda, Dodge, Bugatti, Peugeot, Audi, Porsche, and Suzuki have also revealed virtual concept cars that can be driven in the Gran Turismo video game series.
