The advantages of carbon-fibre were exploited by the AMG engineers in the design of the monocoque.

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Up close, the hollow monocoque wooden frame has a lustrous two-tone sheen that begs to be touched.

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The D5 Air has a bass port built into the back and is constructed from a monocoque exoskeleton to help minimize vibration.

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The battery is located within a carbon-fibre monocoque which forms an integral part of the body shell and acts as the gullwing model's "spine".

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The carbon-fibre battery monocoque is, in addition, conceived as a "zero intrusion cell" in order to meet the very highest expectations in terms of crash safety.

ENGADGET: Visualized: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell bares all

Despite antique appearances, the car is actually built from a carbon-fibre monocoque produced in an aerospace-grade autoclave (in this case, one that Boeing uses), with a body sculpted from a carbon- Nomex sandwich.

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Unlike the concept car, the two-seat production version, based on a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque, will feature a manual roof system with removable panels that can be stored in the front luggage compartment.

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The weight advantages achieved through the carbon-fibre battery monocoque are reflected in the agility of the SLS AMG E-CELL and, in conjunction with the highly innovative wheel-selective four-wheel drive system, ensure true driving enjoyment.

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Other advances included rubber cone independent suspension, designed by Alex Moulton (who incidentally, went on to design the Moulton bicycle -- another of my favorite designs), rack and pinion steering and a monocoque body that eliminated the need for a costly separate chassis.

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