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mercredi 3 décembre 2008

Design Challenge Motorsports 2025

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Audi R25


BMW Hydrogen Powered Salt Flat Racer
"Ne pas attendre en cas de circonstances exceptionnelles pour faire de action; essayez d'utiliser les situations ordinaires." Jean-Paul Richter

GM Chaparral Volt

Honda’s The Great Race

Mazda Kaan (c'est cette voiture qui as gagnée le concours)

Mercedes-Benz Formula Zero

Mitsubishi Motors MMR25

Toyota Lemans Racer

Volkswagen Bio Runner

Design Challenge Motorsports 2025 / Volkswagen Bio Runner










Volkswagen Bio Runner
Volkswagen/Audi Design Center California
The Baja 1000 now introduces the “One Tank Unlimited Solo Class.” The only stipulations are one driver and one 10-gallon tank of fuel, forcing competitors to use every bit of technology, strategy, and wit to finish.

In the Bio Runner, the rider is positioned inside a protective cage on a motorcycle-like saddle with controls attached to the hands and feet. These controls manipulate all wheels via synthetic muscle-based suspension which offers unparalleled control and traction.

The vehicle is powered by dual-turbine engines that run at an ultra-efficient 500,000 rpm and operate on a patented bio-synthetic jet fuel. The vehicle also boasts an Arial Reconnaissance Drone (AR-D) which feeds video to the driver when visibility is limited.

The Support Team Chopper transports, follows and in the event of a crash, swoops down to perform repairs. It also contains telemetry analysis software, which in the case of emergency, takes over piloting to avoid danger unseen by the driver.

A noticeable design feature is the lack of windows. The driver sits inside a central pod with a seamless 360-degree panoramic screen projecting real-time images from the exterior. This not only allows for a lighter vehicle but also ensures visibility through all weather conditions.

Design Team :
Derek Jenkins
Patrick Faulwetter
Ian Hilton

Design Challenge Motorsports 2025 / Toyota Lemans Racer







Toyota Lemans Racer

Calty Design Research, Inc.


Technological superiority and endurance creates the ultimate race car that never needs to stop. Not only is the racer powered by highly efficient hydrogen fuel cell electric motors, each of its body panels is embedded with photovoltaic panels that supply electricity when extra energy is needed.

The vehicle features two basic modes: High Speed Mode and Cornering Mode.
In High Speed Mode, the body and wheels narrow, creating less drag and resistance to reach its highest speed of 350 mph. The Cornering Mode transforms the body to create a wide and stable stance with expanded wheels, establishing maximum contact and grip through tight turns.

To aid the driver in darkness or unreliable weather, the cockpit is a completely digital environment with a display enhanced by virtual reality, computer trajectory plotting, collision avoidance assistance and a robot co-pilot, which manages the on-board systems and repairs so that it can maintain full speed all the way to the finish.

Design Team :
President : Kevin Hunter
Studio Design Manager : Erwin Lui
Senior Creative Designer : Craig Kember

Design Challenge Motorsports 2025 / Mitsubishi Motors MMR25









Mitsubishi Motors MMR25

Mitsubishi Research & Design of North America
Mitsubishi breaks from convention and introduces the MMR25.

While the look is shocking, the multi-terrain, omnidirectional wheels consist of eight independently-controlled motors, allowing for “8 x 4” wheel drive so that the car can be driven forward while pointing in any direction. The MMR25 drives sideways into a corner and points the nose of the car outwards before even reaching the apex of the curve while driving sideways or backwards.

The MMR25 also uses special Oblique Aerodynamics to give the vehicle aero advantages. The center wing acts as a spoiler, actuated by pneumatic and fabricated from Memory Metal Alloy while the front and rear spoilers double as suspension blades which are able to control stiffness and ride height.

Design Team : Jon Hull (design, surfacing, rendering and animation)

Design Challenge Motorsports 2025 / Mercedes-Benz Formula Zero





Mercedes-Benz Formula Zero

Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America
Luxury racing arrives in the Formula Zero Racer by incorporating the thrill of Formula One, the track dynamics of the bobsled or luge, and the grace and efficiency of yacht racing.

Reminiscent of the Mercedes Benz racing heritage of the 1930’s, the Formula Zero Racer is loaded with technology designed to extract the maximum thrust from the electric hub motors, aero-efficient solar skin and high-tech rigid sail.

Each team is allocated the same amount of stored energy and it is left to the teams and drivers to manage the variables to win the race. The winner is determined by total elapsed time combined with the energy efficiency factor.

Spectators at the Mercedes Benz Formula Zero racing Series are treated to a new dimension of racing as the transparent track is visible from all perspectives even from below.


Design Team :
Alan Barrington
George Yoo
Kevin Verduyn

Design Challenge Motorsports 2025 / Mazda Kaan










Mazda Kaan

Mazda Research and Development
The Mazda Kaan is an electric race car designed to compete in the E1 races, the pinnacle of international motorsports in terms of technology and popularity. In 2025, California freeways have been resurfaced with a sub-level electro-conductive polymer that powers the electric cars of the modern world. MAZDA’s patented electronic tire system uses this technology to power the KAAN to reach 250 mph with no harmful emissions.

The vehicles are piloted by individual drivers but teams are made up of thirty cars, all on the track together. Using strategies similar to those in cycling peletons, the tighter the group sticks together, the more aerodynamic and powerful it becomes.

Inspiration for the KAAN comes from electric fields and textures seen in nature, particularly those in a lightning bolt. The car is uniquely designed around its powerful electric wheels while the cockpit acts as a capsule to safely house the driver, allowing for tighter peloton formations and a team victory.

Design Team:
Jacques Flynn
Carlos Salaff
Minyong Lee
Greg Lee
Tim Brown
Jordan Meadows

Design Challenge Motorsports 2025 / Honda’s The Great Race 2025








Honda’s The Great Race 2025
Honda Research and Development
In 1908, 17 men dared to take on the “toughest race ever devised.” Spanning six months, the Great Race brought these men over 22,000 miles, through three continents and around the world. 117 years later, the Great Race of 2025 is tougher than ever.

Competitors must circumnavigate the globe in 24 hours on land through the United States, by sea through Asia and by air over Europe.

The vehicle’s sonar/echolocation sensors are able to detect changes in speed, terrain, and altitude, allowing it to switch to any configuration. With expertise in automotive, marine, robotics, and jet technologies already in place, Honda possesses a distinct, competitive advantage over its rivals, allowing it to lead in the evolution of motorsports in the 21st century.
Design Team : Franco Corral

Design Challenge Motorsports 2025 / GM Chaparral Volt








GM Chaparral Volt

General Motors Advanced Design, California
Designed for the 2025 revival of the LA Times Grand Prix, the Chaparral Volt uses advanced EREV propulsion, energy collection, generation and management system to create an entirely new category of racing - the eco-triathlon.

The Chaparral Volt collects and generates its own energy from three different clean, renewable and abundant California resources: Earth, Wind and Fire.

Earth (Geologic) Gravity and momentum-capture regeneration and aero-thermal resistance provide astounding levels of braking efficiency in addition to active energy regeneration.

Wind (Aero-Thermal) Building on the legendary Chaparral 2J, the Volt utilizes rear turbine extractors for power cell cooling, down force and (in reversed direction) a combination of aero-assist braking and energy regeneration.

Fire (Radiant Sunlight) Integrated thin-film PV panels for the racer’s body and team support unit takes advantage of Southern California’s most abundant resource, the sun, and converts it for use as the Chaparral Volt’s primary energy source.
* “Chaparral” and the Chaparral logo are used under the permission of Jim Hall, Chaparral Cars

Design Team :
Frank Saucedo, Steve Anderson, Thamer Hannona, Jussi Timonen, Loren Kulesus, Alessandro Zezza, Sean Moghadam, Tony Liu and Phil Tanioka

*“Chaparral” and the Chaparral logo are used under the permission of Jim Hall, Chaparral Cars