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Mercedes Benz Viano Vision Diamond Concept

Excepting the hot Beijing Auto Show, there isn't much car news today. That's why I'm covering something that I wouldn't otherwise cover: the Mercedes Benz Viano Vision Diamond Concept. 

For those of you that don't know, the cargo and passenger van market is a profitable on for Mercedes overseas. The Viano is a heavy duty passenger van, like a a Ford E-Series but only more refined. 

In the past, there has been many conversions of the Mercedes Benz Sprinter and Viano vans into opulent limousine vans. This time, Mercedes Benz did it on their own. This is a follow-up to the Viano Vision Pearl concept from the Frankfurt Auto Show. 

It is superbly luxurious inside. There are only two seats, but those two passengers will be pampered in the utmost comfort and luxurious ambiance. White-gray Nappa leather covers huge expanses of the passenger compartment, with a ring of dark wood accenting it. The two thrones are highly adjustable and climate controlled.There's even a large 40-inch television built in at the front. The television is connected to a super high end Bang & Olufsen surround sound system. 

The divider between the driver's compartment and the passenger compartment is the variable tint Magic Sky Control glass that can go from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button. The same glass is offered on all windows, although that would be ridiculously expensive glass. 

What's also expensive is the eight diamonds in the cabin of the vehicle. Eight rhymed with "fortune" (as in money) in Chinese, so that's where the number eight comes from.

All the goodies can be operated with an compatible iPhone or iPad. The television, once connected to the Apple device, can become a video conference screen if needed. AS of now, it's just a concept, but Mercedes Benz will probably gladly charge a Chinese customer dear amounts of money to build one of these.

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