THERE is no need to panic. The wheels are not about to fall off. In fact, these bizarre, tilting wheels, which gave my Mercedes-Benz a distinctly drunken look, are pointing straight into the future. The F400 Carving is a powerful two-seater with wheels that tilt like those of a motorcycle, and The Times was allowed to drive the sole example of this priceless sports car, its wheels able to lean 20 degrees to help to generate tremendous grip as it zips through tight turns.

There is no quirky behaviour to worry about, although it is a brow-furrowing, jaw-dropping experience for anyone watching the phenomenon. They are always ready with advice for the driver, the main message being: “Oi, your wheels are falling off!” The handbook says that, confronted with such unwanted advice, the driver should just wave back and look cool.

In a lofty, echoing hangar next to the Zeppelin factory at Friedrichshafen airfield on the shore of Lake Constance, Mercedes-Benz brought together its collection of 11 research vehicles, some apparently zany, others merely bizarre, a few looking almost conventional. These wheeled wonders, developed over more than 20 years at phenomenal cost by DaimlerChrysler, Mercedes’ parent company, are mobile laboratories, demonstrating and testing technologies for the future. The newest member of this esoteric technological family is the F500 Mind, with pedals that do not move but react to the driver’s foot pressure, an airliner-like control column instead of a steering wheel, a diesel engine and electric motor combo producing enormous power, and an infra-red laser vision system to probe darkness or fog.

Even stranger is the Mercedes SL, which has no steering wheel. Instead, there is a sidestick controller, like that found in the cockpit of an F-16 fighter, although its functions are not quite the same — and there is no gun trigger. So it is shove forward to go and pull backwards to stop. Turns are aircraft-like; just push the stick to the left or right and the SL’s nose responds instantly. Simple? Up to a point. The Mercedes engineers say computer-games aficionados aged 8 to 18 handle it with ease; golden oldies need not apply.

So we are not likely to see that idea make production, but some of the lessons learnt from it, and the software that has been developed, can be used for more practical systems, including the steering of the F500, which uses a yolk similar to that of an airliner instead of a steering wheel.

The steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire F500 is the culmination of much of the work and money that has been put into Mercedes-Benz research cars and may be a pointer to the technology that will emerge over the next 20 to 30 years. The F500 is certainly significant. It does not look too outlandish, although its interior — which incorporates a central pillar supporting the glass roof — is not quite your average family hatchback. But it is easy to drive. DaimlerChrysler is determined to get rid of the growing clutter of switches and buttons that cause confusion and the F500 has a multivision display combining speedometer, rev counter, navigation information and other instruments. Only information that is required at a particular time is shown, just as it is with modern aircraft.

A single button on the steering wheel changes the displays and a touchpad in front of the centre armrest needs just a tap to operate audio, air-conditioning, communications or navigation systems. Instead of pedals, the F500 has pressure pads mounted flush with the toeboard for accelerator and brake operation, which frees up space. The concept is not exactly new. The Citroën DS had something similar for the brake pedal in 1955, although the technique used for the F500 is just a shade more sophisticated. Rear-seat passengers have a holographic information and entertainment system that projects computer programs, video games, television programmes or DVD films.

As for the drive system, the F500 uses a 250bhp, V8 diesel coupled with an electric motor. Operating together (the electric motor is used on its own in some situations, including slow-moving city traffic), they provide huge torque, so that it would tow your caravan and those of most of your friends.

Mercedes-Benz is determined to be in pole position in the race to take practical, customer-benefiting technology to market.