By: IOL Motoring Staff
Stuttgart, Germany - Looking at 1960s movies portraying the 'Hollywood' lifestyle and contemporary offerings on the same theme, it's quite striking that one aspect has hardly changed at all - golf cart design. A golf cart is probably the most utilitarian vehicle this side of a military test ground, and most of them look like it. Not all, however.
The Mercedes-Benz Style Edition Garia Golf Car (yes, the name is almost longer than the vehicle) was designed in collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Garia, a Danish maker of premium shuttle vehicles, to be the 'real sports car' of golf carts.
Its shape is a synthesis of the top responses to a 2013 call to golf enthusiasts worldwide to sketch the golf cart of the future - but it's no surprise that the result looks uncannily similar to a Smart ForTwo.
That's because their design parameters are so close: a golf cart must be shorter, narrower and higher than a conventional car, with very short overhangs and a super-tight turning circle. Sounds like we're describing a Smart, doesn't it?
It's just 2350mm long, 1200mm wide and 1720mm high, but it's not your common or garden golf cart: driver and passenger sit behind a large, curved windscreen and the carbon-fibre roof is entirely separately styled from the body, to make it look like a baseball cap.
It’ll even order you a drink
Your command centre is a 26cm 'floating' tablet of sorts, which besides showing all the regular vehicle info you might require at some point, the big screen can also display the layout of the golf course (with your current position) and even an electronic score card for the golfer. It has a hands-free Bluetooth system too and apps that will predict the weather for you and order a refreshment for delivery to the green.
While we're on the functionality, the cart has a small rear spoiler that will hold two golf bags at just the right angle so you can slide your choice of club out for the next shot without having to heave the bag out of the racket shot.
The double bench seat flows round the edges of the body, like a lounge chair - but under it there's a cooler box, and there's a stowage tray under the dashboards that neatly holds your golf balls lined up ready for use.
Sports car suspension
The Garia is driven by an electric motor that can produce up to 11kW for short periods, for acceleration and steep slopes for instance, but it's not quite built for drag races across the fairway as its continuous output is restricted to 3kW and 30km/h.
There are only two pedals: one is marked with a plus, for acceleration, the other with a minus, for braking. One area where cuteness has not been allowed to rule, however, is the suspension. The Garia has double wishbones all round, just like a Ferrari.
So when will I be the envy of the country club?
You can't order yours quite yet, as for now Garia is only building two showcars, but if enough potential customers show interest then series production could certainly be on the cards.
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