For today’s installment of Stuff You Never Knew You Needed is the Mercedes-Benz Airscarf technology, offered in its convertible models. What is Airscarf? you ask. Pretty much exactly what it sounds like.
The technology is simply an extra set of air vents built in to the front-seat headrests of equipped cars. When activated, the vents direct hot air toward the head and neck of the driver and passenger, providing a blanket of warmth that helps make the cold-weather convertible experience a little more comfortable.
Mercedes-Benz says that once the Airscarf button is activated, a control unit will calculate the “ideal warm air distribution” at speeds of up to 75 mph. If you’re going faster than 75 mph, Airscarf simply ditches the temperature optimization and operates at a constant level.
Its vents are adjustable, so you won’t end up with warm shoulders and a cold neck if you’re taller than average. And no need to worry about cold air coming out of those vents while you wait for them to warm up; the vents use energized ceramic particles to deliver heat quickly and consistently, which may seem like overkill but is also pretty cool.
Airscarf is available on the 2013 SLS AMG GT roadster and SL, SLK, and E-Class cabriolet models. It is standard equipment in the SLS AMG GT roadster, SLK350, SLK55 AMG, and SL65 AMG models. In the other models, it is part of Mercedes-Benz’s Premium 1 package, which ranges in cost from $2,590 in the SLK250 to $4,900 in the SL550 roadster.
For owners of droptops who find themselves clinging to their warm-weather rides long after the sun has abandoned them, Airscarf can offer some comfort in the face of the cold, cold wind.