Looking to create an entrant for this year's LA Design Challenge, Mercedes-Benz came up with the Ener-G-Force to fit the theme of Highway Patrol Vehicle 2025. Mercedes-Benz says that the styling of the Ener-G-Force builds on many cues from the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and like the original G-Wagen introduced in 1979 as a civilian version of a military vehicle, it didn't take much imagination to envi

sion a civilian version of the Ener-G-Force. Of course, it wouldn't be a futuristic concept vehicle without some sort of advanced powertrain, and the concept unveiled today delivers on this front as well.

From a design standpoint, the Ener-G-Force infuses many elements seen on the G-Class but with a much more modern interpretation giving it a new, yet recognizable appearance. These cues include the sunk-in headlights, turn signals/running lights mounted atop the front fenders, the long, flat roofline and the low, rectangular taillights, but the Ener-G-Force ditches the G-Class' boxy lines in favor of a more rounded shape.

One of the interesting elements of the concept is the roof rack. While it looks like a cargo rack that could be used for a safari, it is actually a way for the vehicle to collect water to store in tanks to then be transferred to a converter that creates hydrogen to power the fuel cells. The batteries for this system are built into the rocker panels, and the hypothetical range for this conceptual system is 500 miles of zero-emission driving. For off-roading purposes, the system uses four independent motors at each wheel and a roof-mounted scanner that adjusts the suspension to best fit the road conditions and terrain.

The Ener-G-Force was one of six entrants for the 2012 LA Design Challenge, and the winning design will be announced on November 29 as a part of the LA Auto Show.

The evolution of the AMG subbrand can be divided into three eras—pre-Benz ownership, when AMG merely tuned Mercedes cars; subsidiary status, as vehicle development became contemporaneous; and the post-SLS period, from 2009 on, when AMG got serious about engineering and building its own sports cars for the Star. Even as it continues to tune and modify sedans, coupes, roadsters, and SUVs for Mercedes, AMG will expand its own portfolio of track-ready sports cars for purists.

The key to this growth is the SLS’s highly versatile platform. Its aluminum structure can be stretched or shortened to create new models, and it’s readily adaptable to coupe and roadster duty. Putting the SLS platform into a taffy stretcher allows AMG to go after the Ferrari 599’s successor. Hit the SLS with a shrink ray, and you get an aluminum two-seat sports car aimed at Porsche’s Cayman /Boxster . The shorter version will be called the SLC, and it will arrive in 2014.

The SLS defines AMG’s design language, and the look will port over to the SLC. The long nose and bobtail proportions will remain but on a smaller scale. The SLC will be roughly the size of a Porsche 911 , with a wheelbase of about 96.5 inches and an overall length of 173.0. At an estimated 47.5 inches high and 71.0 inches wide, the SLC will be short and fat but in the best possible way. Despite its 911-aping size, our sources tell us to expect the SLC to drive like a hard-edged sports car, more in the mold of the Cayman than Porsche’s larger GT.

Unlike the SLS, the SLC will not have gullwing doors. But like the SLS, the roadster version will have a fabric top. Cues from Mercedes’ history are instrumental to the plan. Bars on the front fenders behind the wheels are an homage to the 1954  300SL coupe . Roadster versions will get an aerodynamic rollover bar behind the headrests that resembles a fairing ­fitted to 1954–55 W196 Formula 1 racers. Symbolically injecting itself fully into Mercedes’ bloodstream, AMG will drop “Benz” from the badges for the Affalterbach specials: They’ll be emblazoned “Mercedes-AMG.”

Much of  the SLC’s cabin design will come from the SLS. You’ll see familiar jet-like gauges, HVAC vents, and switchgear. In fact, don’t expect radical interior changes in future Mercedes-AMG models.

AMG’s 6.2-liter V-8 will be mounted as far back and as low in the SLC as possible. To not encroach on the SLS’s turf, this engine will be slightly detuned. We anticipate the SLC’s specs to be similar to the C63 AMG’s, with output ranging from 451 to 481 horsepower. Dry-sump lubrication, the limited-slip differential, and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic with launch-control programming will carry over from the SLS. In an attempt to conserve fuel, there will be a stop-start system; cylinder deactivation is also under consideration.

As noted previously, a shortened version of the SLS’s aluminum space frame underpins aluminum bodywork. Unlike the SLS, which offers a carbon-fiber hood, the SLC will get only a less costly aluminum one. The SLC, however, will get the SLS’s carbon-fiber torque tube, which serves as a structural component. Chassis parts will be adapted from the SLS—front and rear aluminum control-arm setups will ­suspend 20-inch wheels. Carbon-ceramic brakes will be optional. Using so much of  the SLS’s structure and powertrain means that the SLC should weigh about 3700 pounds.