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The story behind BMW's Salt Flat Racer of 2025

 
1 1,936 views Apr 21, 2009

los angeles design challenge entries 2008 063

The design was first presented last year for the Los Angeles Auto Show design challenge

The design was first presented last year for the Los Angeles Auto Show design challenge

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According to BMW's 'MINI Space' team of engineers and designers, race cars of the future may be built out of old oil drums, bomb shells and BBQ grills - oh and did we mention goldfish? While it may seem like the parts list for a race car out of a Dr. Seuss book, in reality the project by BMW to envision the race car of 2025 is a tongue-in-cheek look at what the future may hold for cars, as well as promoting its own team's design goals of thinking of new ideas for the creative use of space.

The futuristic racer was first unveiled as part of a design competition at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show, but now MINI Space is giving us an insider’s point of view into the car's development. First and foremost, the most bizarre aspect of the car would have to be the two goldfish that reside in the car's rear area - apparently they symbolize BMW's confidence in the fact that the car will be able to run on clean fuel, although we're not sure what the ASPCA would have to say about that.

The goldfish also serve as a nod to what BMW thinks is the "biggest trend" in production design - sustainability. In this vein, using recycled products highlights their commitment to using existing products and technology to create efficiency, as well as to create more of a challenge for themselves, rather than just having an out-and-out futuristic vision of a race car (an approach that worked for the winner of the design competition, Mazda).

The bizarre ideas behind the racer didn't come from just one designer at BMW with a screw-loose though. Rather, a team of "145 designers, researchers, strategists, modelers, engineers, technicians, and material specialists" from all over the globe were involved in the car's design.
Los Angeles Design Challenge Entries 2008

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Comment (1)

  1. By  compact flash 16gb Posted: 1/10/2010 10:33pm PST

    a salt flat racer? Nay, the R10 is a turning point. This is a cute rendering of someone wishing water emissions was as good as it sounds.
     
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