Mercedes-Benz Style to design helicopters, yachts, planes, sofas

Fed up with the drab interior of your helicopter? Fret not, because Mercedes-Benz is about to start crafting luxury interiors for choppers, luxury yachts and private jets.

It's all part of the Mercedes-Benz Style project, a venture that will see the company realign itself with an old philosophy where the company emblem, a three-pointed star, symbolised its ambition to deliver universal motorisation "on land, on water and in the air".

Its first project is the Mercedes-Bens Style EC145 Luxury Helicopter. Based on the luxury Eurocopter EC145, this bad boy is already considered the limousine of the skies, thanks to its twin-engine turbine and low-noise, low-vibration rotor blades. Inside Mercedes plans to gut the interior, which wasn't exactly shabby to begin with, and fit all manner of luxury goodies, including a choice of wooden floors, leather seats and contemporary lighting to match your interior colour scheme.

The EC145 has eight seats, so there's plenty of room for your friends, loved ones, pedicurists and pedicurists' pedicurists. Each seat is mounted on rails and can be easily removed or repositioned to provide more legroom or extra space for your Louis Vuitton luggage.

There are plenty of creature comforts, too. Each one will have the option of a 15-inch monitor and DVD player, and a fridge to keep your champagne at just the right temperature. Mercedes will also throw in a movable glass partition that separates the passenger and pilot compartments, so you can discuss world domination without the nosy plebs up front eavesdropping.

If choppers aren't your bag, don't worry your well-groomed head, as Mercedes-Benz Style will also be having a bash at yachts, private jets and even furniture. In fact, it'll turn its hand to just about anything. The firm intends to undertake commissioned work, for which the rights to its styling service are sold to a product manufacturer, and will grant manufacturers licenses to use their styling. Mercedes laptops, anyone?

The EC145 will be available from the fourth quarter of 2011. To get a closer look at some of its other design projects, hit the 'Continue' link below.