Let's quiet down about flying cars [1] for a minute, because self-driving cars are having a moment, and we've got to say they might sound even better than the airborne concept. At this year's CES [2], Mercedes-Benz revealed its vision for a driverless car, the F 015 Luxury in Motion research sedan [3], which has an emphasis on luxury, of course.

As Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said during the CES presentation [4], self-driving cars will make "quality time and private space . . . the true luxury goods in the future." Ah yes, a relaxing commute, truly the most luxurious item of all. The F 015 is a minimalist design fan's dream machine with a streamlined shape, bright white interiors, windows that double as screens, and walnut wood floor and seat trims. There are zero buttons inside; everything is controlled by gestures and eye tracking. And "passenger" is much too pedestrian a word for those sitting inside what Mercedes bills as a luxury lounge; they're called guests, thank you. Though the car is designed to drive itself, should a person be feeling very retro, a steering wheel is on hand to get back into the driver's seat.

The race to getting a consumer-ready self-driving car on the road is under way. This week, an Audi A7 showed off some magic by driving itself [5] from San Francisco to Las Vegas to get to CES, and BMW is showcasing its self-parking car [6]. Meanwhile, Google is taking its straight-out-of-Toontown driverless car on the roads of Northern California for test runs.

Check out more looks at the F 015's ultraluxe interior in the following video and pictures.