Mercedes-Benz has decided to name their concept car for the 2015 IAA motor show after the show itself. We’re not joking, this thing is called Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA, but that IAA stands for Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile.

Now that’s an apt name, since Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA is an aerodynamic god with a Cd value of 0.19. And it’s a sleek and sexy four-door coupe. Mercedes pioneered this class with the CLS more than a decade ago, and since they didn’t encounter serious competition for it they decided to outdo themselves by perfecting the concept. The Concept IAA is the ultimate in active aerodynamics. It switches automatically from design mode to aerodynamic mode when the vehicle reaches a speed of 80 km/h and literally changes shape. It’s a bloody transformer!

At the touch of a button, or even left to its own devices, Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA metamorphosis, so to speak, into an armadillo-like creature. It extends itself to improve the aerodynamics when needed, and then returns to its normal, eye-pleasing self when you slow down. It does that through the magic of active aerodynamics:

Eight segments extend at the rear, increasing its length by up to 390 millimetres; front flaps in the front bumper extend by 25 mm to the front and 20 mm to the rear, improving the air flow around the front end and the front wheel arches; the Active Rims alter their cupping from 55 mm to zero; and the louvre in the front bumper moves 60 mm to the rear, improving the underbody air flow.

Designing this system was a challenge not just for the actual designers, but also the engineers who had to employ what in car terms can be considered a supercomputer to make the complex geometric design work. Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA is the very embodiment of the car of the future. Besides magic aerodynamic, the car also features OFN (Optical Finger Navigation) technology and Car-to-X technology. A petrol/electric hybrid powertrain with an output of 280 Ps powers the IAA.