THIS is the future of executive motoring, as prophesied by Mercedes.

The F015 Luxury In Mo, I guess LIMO for short, is a car that's capable of driving itself and designed not only as a means of getting from A to B, but also as a kind of hi-tech mobile home.

Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it may be just a concept, but Mercedes believes cars are set to take on a much greater role in society.

Dr Dieter Zetsche, head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: "Anyone who focuses solely on the technology has not yet grasped how autonomous driving will change our society. The car is growing beyond its role as a mere means of transport and will ultimately become a mobile living space."

Underneath the space age exterior, is an interior that wouldn't look out of place on the Starship Enterprise.

Four individual lounge chairs are accessed via twin, rear-hinged doors that open to 90 degrees – the seats swivelling by 30 degrees to make it easier to get in and out.

The inside is crafted out of open grain walnut, glass, ice white nappa leather and aluminium. Connectivity is through a choice of six screens, controlled via eye-tracking, gesture recognition or touch.

Able to operate manually or on its own, Large LED light modules on the front and back of the car denote just who - or what - is in charge.

With manual mode engaged, the front seat driver and passenger seats swivel automatically to face the direction of travel and the steering wheel emerges seamlessly from the dashboard

Capable of being powered by hydrogen fuel cells, the car's body is made up of carbon fibre reinforced plastic, aluminium and high strength steel, making it around 40 per cent lighter than current vehicles of its size.